Mission: Impossible -- Recall
by AlexWayne
Summary: When an ex-CIA agent blames Ethan Hunt for the death of his wife, he becomes bent on exacting revenge and destroying the IMF agent's life. The crux of his revenge? To kill the person Ethan loves most. Ethan/Benji
1. Trapped

Ch. 1: Trapped

The lights clicked on and Ethan was no longer submerged in darkness. The IMF agent hung by cuffed wrists dangling from a chain on the ceiling. His feet were slack against the ground. At the switch was a man of medium build. His blonde hair was slicked back and he wore a disturbing grin of a madman. He walked up to Ethan, smiling brightly. The man ran a hand over his face.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment, Ethan," the man purred, a slight southern accent on his words. "It's been years of careful planning. So much just to get you here. I'm Adyn Kane-"

"I know who you are," Ethan cut in.

"Good, we can skip that part, then, but do you know why you are here?"

"Something about suffering."

"That's right," Kane snarled, "You cost me my wife, now I'm going to take the person you love most from you."

"I lost my wife years ago," Ethan explained, "There's no one I love."

Kane let out a laugh, walking over to a two-way radio and switching it on. Heavy panicked breathing played on the other end. The sound of a fist connecting with flesh rang out next. Ethan's eyes stared intensely at the box.

"We both know you wouldn't be here if that weren't true," Kane hissed.

"Where is Director Hunley?" A deep male voice on the other side of the radio demanded.

"You...you will never m-make me talk," Benji replied, his voice uncertain.

Ethan's stomach dropped. Hearing the pain in the man's voice burned panic in his gut.

"Stop," Ethan commanded Kane. "Do what you want to me, but let him go."

Kane smirked. "Don't you understand? _This_ is what I am doing to you. I was unable to save my wife. Now you will be forced to listen to him suffer and die."

Ethan's eyes snapped back to the box.

" _Where_ is Director Hunley?" the man on the other side hissed. A cry from Benji followed.

" _Please_... _please_ stop…"

"Then _tell_ me!"

Benji sniffled, "I...I can't…"

Ethan shook his head, then struggled against his chains.

Kane's smirk grew.

Another scream from Benji echoed in the room. Ethan began pulling at the chains with all his strength, all the while glaring at Kane. "I'm going to kill you for this, I'm gonna-"

" _What_?" spat Kane, "Gonna do _what_? You're going to listen to him. That is _all_ you will do."

"I…" Benji's voice began weakly. He let out a sob, "You'll just h-have to kill me."

"No, you don't get to join Hunt that easily."

Kane's smile grew, "Oh, here comes the best part."

Ethan's gaze flew from the box to Kane and back again. His heart thudded in his ears so hard he almost didn't hear Benji's next words.

"What…?" The tech's voice shook a little less.

"Oh-did no one tell you?" the torturer asked before cackling, "Oh, I thought for sure they told you. This will make things so much more fun."

"Tell me what?"

There was a pause. Ethan shook his head, silently pleading with a man rooms away, wanting to beg the man not to say it.

"Ethan Hunt is dead," the voice in the radio spat.

Quiet hung in the air before, "No," Benji stated, somewhere between fact and a plea. "You lie."

"It's true."

"No, he's not dead."

"He's not coming for you."

More silence. "I'm a field agent," Benji replied with forced confidence, "I...can look after myself."

"Clearly," the torturer retorted. "Either way, he's dead and gone. Here,"

There was a moment of quiet, then the sound of thin metal hitting a concrete floor.

Benji gasped, "No, no, no, no…" he pleaded, the sobs coming back.

Ethan struggled again, he wanted to call out to Benji.

 _Whatever they showed you, it isn't true. I'm alive. I'm alive and I'm coming to get you. Just hold on, Benji..._

"We tortured him for so long. It's amazing how long he held out. It was just too much for him."

"Please, god, no…" Benji whimpered.

"It's true…"

Benji began crying.

"You bastard!" Ethan yelled at Kane, who was quite enjoying himself.

Benji's sobs rang in Ethan's ears. They broke him. They broke Benji.

"So...where is the director?" the torturer asked.

"I'll tell you," Ethan called to Kane, "I'll tell you where Hunley is. I'll give him up if you let Benji go!"

"You wouldn't," Kane replied dryly.

"I would. I'll tell you, I will give-"

"It doesn't matter either way. Hunley's suffered enough, and he'll have this on his conscious. I want him to stay alive, honestly."

"Then why ask Benji?"

Kane walked up to Ethan, "So he thinks he has a choice. So he either has hope and gives up Hunley, or better, he tries to be the brave boy and just _refuse to betray everyone_ ," he explained, a mocking tone on his last words. "Personally, I'm hoping we get a lot of time out of this."

Ethan reached out a leg to kick Kane, but he dodged, laughing at the agent.

Benji let out a groan again after the sound of impact.

"You're almost as much fun as Hunt," the torturer taunted, "His screams were like music to my ears."

Benji grew quiet.

"Do you want to know what I did to him?"

Suddenly Benji let out a guttural yell then there was the sound of a struggle. Breaking wood. Impact. Shuffling.

Then a gunshot rang out.


	2. Three Weeks Back

Ch. 2: Three Weeks Back

Ethan sat at a round table at the IMF headquarters. To his left were Brandt and Zhen. On his right were Jane and Benji. Director Hunley stood before the group and clicked through slides on a powerpoint.

"Three CIA agents have gone missing," Hunley was saying. "Director Carbone says they were deep cover in Scotland. Jason Rand, Thomas Clare, and Kurtis Isles. Their mission is classified. They were supposed to contact a handler two weeks ago. They haven't been heard from."

"No offence, Director," Benji began, "But...why do we care? I mean, what does this have to do with us?"

Hunley turned grave, "They were my men. They reported directly under me when I was at the CIA. They are the best of the best. If something happened to them, they need better than the best to get them home."

Benji frowned apologetically and nodded.

"Intel has tracked them to an old dock warehouse. The CIA gave us that much, but we don't know who we are dealing with. Whether this had something to do with their mission, or if someone is capturing CIA agents, we don't know. No ransom has been demanded, but intel suggests they are alive."

"All three?" Brandt asked.

"Yes."

"Well that's ballsy," Jane chimed in.

Hunley rose a brow, "In what way?"

"Keeping them all together," Ethan explained, "They have a better chance of escape together."

"So they must be very confident they can keep them prisoner," Hunley replied.

"Or stupid," Lei added.

"Yes, or stupid, but if they were caught in the first place, the former seems more likely."

The group nodded.

"Brilliant," Benji piped up, "Haven't been to Scotland in ages."

"Scotland...at night...in a van...by a dock," Benji grumbled from his com center, "Just as shitey as I remember…"

Ethan and the women snuck through the dark in all black suits, wearing night-vision goggles and brandishing machine-guns. The trio slunk their way to the walls of the warehouse.

Back at HQ, Brandt and Hunley watched the operation on multiple large screens.

"Come on, Benji, it's not that bad," Brandt chided.

"Oh really, are you here?" Benji retorted, "The van smells like old fish and oil lamps. Why is it we can never go on covert operations in Barbados during the day?"

"By 'covert operations' you mean reclining in a lawn chair with a stiff drink, right?" Lei whispered into her com, peering through a window.

"It wouldn't hurt."

Ethan switched his goggles to heat signatures. Three forms sat tied to chairs, facing each other in a circle. Five armed guards wandered around the building. Three at ground-level, and two up on platforms suspended above them. Ethan's eyes narrowed at the whole situation.

"Your best guys, Director?" Ethan whispered.

"The best," Hunley replied confidently.

Ethan watched again before signaling the women. They split off from him, circling around the building. Quickly, Ethan threw a smoke grenade through the window and watched the guards rush up to the noise. Ethan ran towards the nearest door as Lei and Jane burst in through two other entrances and the shooting began.

Benji watched the fight on a monitor on the dash and tapped his hands rhythmically on the steering wheel, waiting for any signs of a quick getaway.

The girls dropped a man each and Ethan shot the two men on the balcony with precision. Jane turned quickly, taking out a second and final man. When the shooting ceased, Ethan rushed to the prisoners. The women looked around then at each other.

"Well that was easy, too easy," Lei stated, looking around, waiting for more armed men. None seemed to be coming.

Ethan shined a light on the prisoners. The three were unconscious and wearing dock-worker uniforms. Ethan examined the faces.

"It's not them," Ethan called out. "They're decoys."

The women's eyes scanned the warehouse, ready for another fight. Still no sound.

"Benji, we're coming to you, have the van ready," Ethan called, untying the decoys and laying them on the ground.

No reply.

Ethan froze. "Benji?"

The sounds of fighting came over the mic. Ethan broke into a sprint, heading for the van. A man in the back of the van began shooting and Ethan had to dive behind a crate. The van screeched forward and skidded around a corner. Ethan ran into one of the warehouses, bolting up the steps and diving out of one of the windows, crashing onto the van with a thud.

He was nearly thrown off, but grabbed the edge at the last moment, hanging from the side. Pulling himself up quickly, the van began swerving from one side to the other, hurling him back and forth. His machine gun fell from his grip, clattering to the ground. The van veered around another corner and Ethan held on for dear life. As they reached the other side of the building, the two other agents began firing at the van's tires. The van screeched to the side, nearly tipping.

Ethan pulled a handgun from his holster as the passenger-side window opened and a man extended a gun out, blindly firing at Ethan. The agent laid flat against the roof until the shooter had to reload. Ethan took that opportunity to slide down and hang off the back. The shooter began firing again, unaware Ethan had changed positions. Ethan leaned around the side and took a well-aimed shot, hitting the gunner in the arm.

The van pulled a hard left and Ethan lost his grip with one hand, dangling off the back. He quickly regained his position crouched against the back and pulled himself back onto the roof. The driver slammed the brakes, sending Ethan flying across the front and onto the hood. Grabbing ahold of the windshield-wipers, he saved himself from being thrown before the wheels. The driver pulled up a gun, but Ethan drew first, firing a shot into the forehead of the driver.

The man fell against the wheel, and before the passenger could do anything, the van lurched to the left and towards a wall of a warehouse. Ethan rolled over backwards, landing roughly on the ground to the right of the van, the side-view mirror just missing him. He rolled a moment, his legs pounding from the impact. The van flew into the wall, crashing through and grinding to a halt.

Ethan ran to the van and opened the back, pointing his gun at the man in the passenger side. He was groaning, but otherwise no longer a threat. Jane And Lei caught up, pointing their guns at the passenger. Jane went to the side to retrieve him. Ethan's attention went to Benji, lying in the back of the van. Ethan was taken aback to hear the sounds of Benji laughing hysterically.

He grabbed Benji, checking him for injury, the tech laughed all the while.

"Benji, are you hurt?" Ethan asked.

"What? Benji asked between cackles, "Are you kidding? That was great," his words were slow, slurred. Ethan looked at him, puzzled.

Lei picked up a tranquilizer gun from the floor of the van and showed it to Ethan. Benji's eyes locked with it.

"They stuck me good," he told Ethan. Ethan let out a little laugh and shook his head, helping Benji out of the van.

"You're going to be okay," Ethan told him. "Brandt," he called to the analyst in his ear, "We were set up. This wasn't a rescue."

"You're my hero," Benji slurred.

Jane pulled the passenger from the car and let out a gasp. "Ethan, he's one of our guys."

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. There he was, one of the missing agents.

"Zhen...go check the bodies," Ethan called before returning his attention to his earpiece. "We've got one. It's Rand. He's unconscious, but alive. I think he may be the only one."

Back at HQ, Hunley watched with wide-eyes. He remained silent. Stunned.

"Do you think Carbone could have set us up?" Brandt asked the director quietly.

"I wouldn't imagine it, but until this moment I believed nothing but the best of Rand. I just don't know."

In the warehouse, Benji swayed in his chair and stared at Ethan.

"You doing okay, Benji?" he asked him.

"Oh, I am a-okay," the tech replied with a giggle. He stood up quickly and swayed. Ethan reached to steady him.

"You should stay seated for now."

"You should stop looking like the most beautiful man on this world."

The team's attention turned to Benji. Jane stifled a smirk.

"Helo is on its way," Zhen replied, coming back over to the group. "The two on the balcony are the other two missings."

Ethan nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry, Hunley."

The team grew quiet.

"Take the chopper to the port and come back straight away," Hunley told the group before leaving the command center. Brandt stared after him, but didn't stop the man or follow him out.

The sounds of a helicopter cut through the quiet night, and the team stood up. The women waited for the cleanup crew to drop from the transport, but Ethan helped Benji up and began leading him towards the chopper.

"You are bloody handsome," Benji gushed.

Ethan couldn't help chuckle. "Thank you," he replied, humoring him.

"I mean it...you've got such a nice smile, don't let anyone ever tell you you don't."

"Very kind of you," Ethan added, leading Benji by his arm.

"Wait, wait," Benji pleaded, coming to a halt, forcing Ethan to stop and face him.

Without warning, Benji threw his arms over Ethan's shoulders and pulled the agent to him, pressing their lips together. When Benji finally pulled back, he let out a satisfied giggle and began to attempt to saunter towards the chopper.

Ethan stood still a moment, watching the other man stagger away from him.

 _I just kissed Benji Dunn,_ Ethan found himself thinking with a laugh. He was amused at the other agent, but as he watched the helpless man wobble towards the waiting medic on the chopper, Ethan surprised himself by thinking, _I want to do it again._


	3. Questions

Ch. 3: Questions

Jason Rand sat, arm bandaged, in a chair in an isolated interrogation room. He stared intensely at the two-way mirror, behind which Hunley, Brandt, Jane, and Zhen stood staring back. Brandt made a move to exit the observation room and go question him when Ethan burst into the interrogation room and took a seat across the table from Rand.

Brandt looked from Ethan to Hunley, but the director seemed too transfixed with the CIA agent. Jane made eye-contact with Brandt and shrugged.

"You're pretty well off for a captured guy, Rand," Ethan began, "So I have a few questions for you, starting with priority one: who are you working for? Carbone?"

Rand snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Something funny?"

Rand leaned forward in his seat, "Yeah, I think it's a little funny that not six months ago you were the most wanted man at your department and you just get to come in here like you own the place."

Ethan sat back in his chair, "You were on the team sent to catch me?"

"Didn't Hunley tell you?" Rand paused, looking to the mirror, "I'd watch that new Director of yours."

"Feeling a little betrayed? Mad Hunley left the CIA to work for us?"

Rand smirked, "Yeah, you could say that."

Ethan opened a file on the table and spread out the papers and pictures. On it showed the intel gathered by the CIA. The trio tied up and lead into trucks. Armed guards pushing the men around. Schematics of the warehouses. Then pictures of the aftermath of that night. Rand glared at the pictures of the two other CIA agents.

"See, what I think is that the CIA has no idea what you are doing," Ethan began, "You're an agent. You'd know how they work. Where they look, how they find people. You three would know just what to fake to catch your boss's eye."

Rand said nothing.

"The question is why…" Ethan locked eyes with the agent, "Did your op go bad? Are you just wasting the CIA's time? Clearly you weren't just trying to leave the organization or you wouldn't have left a trail to find. You wanted to be found. Your plan went off without a hitch. Draw us in. Take the van in all the fighting, but it wasn't just the equipment or you wouldn't have kept Benji alive."

"You really don't know anything," Rand smirked before leaning back. "I guess we underestimated Carbone's ability to do his job and keep things secret. He didn't tell you what we were doing in Scotland. Who we were observing."

"Then you tell me."

Rand leaned back in his chair, tipping it back on the rear legs. He faced the mirror again, and peered in exactly the spot Hunley stood. The director felt a chill run down his spine.

"Ask Hunley about Agent _Kane_."

Hunley's eyes widened slightly. Brandt and the other agents looked from him to each other.

"Sir, who's Kane?" Brandt asked softly.

Hunley turned to leave the room, but Brandt grabbed his arm. "Who is Kane?"

Hunley looked back at Rand, then made eye-contact with Brandt. "He's my fault."

Back in the other room, Rand continued to recline casually.

"Kane?" Ethan asked, "Who is Kane?"

"Normally I'm told not to tell my captors anything, but we were instructed, if captured, to tell you this, Ethan Hunt: you tore his life apart, now he's going to do the same thing to you."

"What does this have to do with Benji?" Ethan's voice had dropped to a deadly low.

Rand smirked again, "Kane was right about him…"

Ethan stood quickly, crossing the table and kicked Rand's chair, tipping it the rest of the way until the man crashed backwards onto the floor with a thud. He put a foot on Rand's wounded arm and pressed down, pulling a yell from the agent.

Brandt quickly ran from the observation room and ran to stop Ethan.

"What does he want with Benji?" Ethan yelled, stomping on the man's arm.

Brandt burst into the room and grabbed Ethan from behind, pulling him away. Rand grabbed his wounded arm with his good hand and let out a breath of relief before grinning at Ethan.

"He's your weakness…" Rand replied with a smile.

Brandt pulled Ethan out of the room and shut the door.

"Ethan, you can't let him get to you like that."

"We need answers."

"We're not going to get any from him. You know that. He will only tell you what _he_ wants to. You just want someone to answer for what happened."

Ethan stopped and looked away.

Hunley was exiting the observation room and Ethan rushed up to him.

"Who is Kane?" Ethan demanded.

"Ethan," Hunley began, raising his hands defensively.

"No, tell me right now who he is. I am done being in the dark on this. They are playing us and I want answers, cut the need-to-know bullshit."

Hunley let out a breath.

"He's an ex-agent. He was part of my team that traveled to all the ends of the Earth searching for you during the whole Syndicate mess. We didn't know you were innocent. I put a lot of pressure on my team to find you. One agent, Kane, his wife had ailing mental health. He wanted more time off to be with her. I didn't grant it to him…" he paused.

"His wife killed herself," Hunley continued, "She drove her car into oncoming traffic. Kane had a complete break. He was unstable, reckless, a danger. He was put into a psychiatric facility for treatment and was discharged from service. To my knowledge he's still supposed to be there."

"He's clearly not," Ethan retorted.

"What do you want to bet he was their mission?" Brandt added.

Ethan turned and looked back at the door. "Kane convinced his old teammates to join him."

"Payback," Brandt nodded.

"You have to understand," Hunley began, "They were encouraged to pursue you relentlessly for months. They hated you."

"And now you've joined our team. I doubt you're popular at Langley," Ethan supposed.

Hunley nodded gravely.

Jane exited the observation room flanked by Zhen. "I just got off the phone with Carbone. He wanted to know the status of our operation. I told him it was a bit more complicated and that my director will have to have a word."

"Oh, I'll have many," Hunley hissed.

Hunley and Jane started to head away, but the director turned back, looked at Ethan apologetically, but then turned back away and walked quickly.

Zhen's phone buzzed. She looked at it and nodded. "Ethan, medic says Benji is resting. He'll be his old self by morning. Why don't you go home and rest?"

Ethan started to shake his head, but Brant cut him off.

"We should all get some rest. This is far from over, and I don't think any aspect of this will be pretty."


	4. Out of the Dark

Ch. 4: Out of The Dark

First thing in the morning, Ethan headed to the medical station at HQ to find it empty. Benji was nowhere to be found. Upon question the medic, the man informed him that Benji had checked himself out a few hours earlier. Ethan quickly left the room, heading back to the bullpen and finding the team talking amongst themselves. When they spotted Ethan, they turned their attention to him.

"Hunley gave Carbone an earful and basically rained hellfire on his office until he agreed to a meeting. He should be getting back soon," Brandt informed him.

Benji was in a desk chair, spinning himself back and forth, deep in thought, then stopped when he made eye-contact with Ethan. Ethan smiled lightly at Benji, who allowed a smile back. Jane's eyes went from one man to the other before meeting Brandt's, the two coming to the same conclusion together.

"What do we have on Kane?" Ethan asked, turning to Bandt.

"Not much more than what Hunley told us. He was tracked to Scotland for their mission, but it's unlikely he's still within reach after last night. According to Rand, Kane said he has 'work elsewhere.' I don't think Rand knows where."

"Better not to tell him in case we could get him to talk," Zhen agreed.

"So all we're left with is Rand," Ethan sighed.

Benji perked up, "Not necessarily." The team turned their attention to him, "I mean, the other guards besides the three agents were just mercenaries for hire. Lower-level guys. Anyone with money could get them, certainly. Any shady deal, the right interest groups, sure, but the tranq dart? I ran some scripts on it this morning. I thought I had seen it before. It's the NightFangXRS. The CIA sometimes like to use it."

"Well that makes sense, those three being CIA and all," Brandt replied.

"Except there are other types used by agents. This stuff, very very hard to get ahold of. Agents or not, they wouldn't be permitted to use this for a recon mission, you need a special type of clearance for it, because it barely registers on a blood test. You can be drugged out of your mind and a tox screen nearly won't show it. It's some very very black-ops stuff. Meaning that either the mission was way more in-depth than we thought, or more likely-"

"They got it from someone else," Ethan finished.

Benji nodded, "And if they got it from someone else…"

"Kane might have recruited other agents."

"Exactly," Benji concluded before slumping back in his chair.

Ethan mulled over the information for a few minutes, "Were there any other agents supposedly gone missing?"

"None reported. These were the first," Jane said, thumbing through papers on her desk.

"What about dead?"

Brandt nodded, thinking. "Yeah...yeah, maybe."

"Cross-check with any ex or dead CIA agents, see what pops up."

Just then Hunley entered the room, looking frustrated. The team turned towards him. He looked apologetically at Ethan. "A few months back the CIA got word that Kane broke out of the facility in Scotland, but had stayed in the country. The team was sent to observe and report back. A few months in, no problems, until they went 'missing'..." He let out a sigh, "The CIA want custody of Rand, in exchange for their cooperation with our investigation. We are taking point. I had to do a lot of arguing to get this one, but ultimately the committee sided with us given that the CIA created this problem and sent us to fix it in the first place." He paused, turning to the team, "What have we got?"

Brandt began filling Hunley in when Benji stood up and walked over to Ethan, "Can I talk to you alone a moment?" Ethan nodded and followed Benji out into the hall. Jane and Zhen watched them leave, but returned to their work. Once out in the hall, Benji let out a long sigh.

"Look, I wanted to apologize for last night. It was unprofessional," he began.

"It's okay, Benji," Ethan told him, thinking about how sudden the kiss had been.

"No, no it wasn't. I made a mistake…"

Ethan would be lying if he said those words didn't hurt a little.

"I...wouldn't go that far. It wasn't _that_ bad, you were drugged."

"It's no excuse. I am an agent and shouldn't have let it happen…"

"You weren't fully in control…"

"I-wait, what?" Benji asked, stopping, "What are you talking about?"

Ethan paused, "What are _you_ talking about?"

"Letting those soldiers get the jump on me. I should have been mindful of my surroundings or it wouldn't have happened. What were _you_ talking about?"

Ethan's eyes widened slightly in realization. "That...I was talking about that."

Benji eyed him suspiciously, "Did something happen while I was drugged?"

"You don't remember anything?"

Benji's eyes widened, "What did I do?"

"Nothing," Ethan lied, "You were giving out compliments to the agents. It was nothing bad. You were just loopy. Called us your heroes."

"Oh," Benji replied, grimacing.

"It wasn't any big deal. We all understand."

He patted Benji on the shoulder. Benji smiled weakly.

"We should get back," Ethan told him, heading back to the bullpen.

"Yeah," Benji replied softly, nodding and following him out.

"Yanik Heimler," Jane declared as soon as the men returned to the room. "Officially dead six years ago. He's looking pretty good for a dead guy," she handed Ethan a photo of a man with a scraggly beard and piercing blue eyes. "Apparently he hits up a gentleman's club in Germany every third Thursday of the month."

"Even Thanksgiving?" Benji asked with a laugh.

"Well, he's German, so I don't think he really cares…" Jane replied.

"Isn't Thanksgiving the...fourth Thursday?" Brandt asked, uncertain.

"I'm English, I _also_ don't really care," Benji shrugged.

Ethan looked over the picture. "Cologne, Germany…"


	5. The Gents Club

Ch. 5: The Gents Club

Ethan, Brandt, and Benji were dressed well, waiting to drive up to the front. Ethan wasn't happy about Benji going in too, but they wanted as many people on the floor as possible. Jane was to sneak her way into the back to secure a spot as a dancer should Yanik need to be seduced. Zhen was backup outside.

"You sure you don't want to be the eye-candy this time?" Jane asked Zhen, defeated. Zhen shook her head.

"No _thank_ you, maybe next time."

"It's not that bad, is it?" Brandt asked, "You just turn on the charm."

The women shot him a look. He took the hint and said no more.

The men climbed into an Aston Martin. Benji sat in the backseat, Brandt and Ethan in the front. As Ethan started the engine, Benji let out a giddy laugh. Ethan and Brandt turned around, looking at him.

"What? I never get to be in the nice car. Try riding in a van for years and watch everyone speed around in Bugattis," Benji insisted. The other two turned back around and Ethan revved the engine. Benji's smile widened, but Brandt shook his head, a faint smile on his lips.

The men pulled up to the lot and were greeted by a valet driver. The two exited the front, walking with swagger. Benji attempted to display the same amount of controlled grace, but was taken aback by the glamour of the entrance to the building.

"Certainly not a seedy-looking establishment…" Benji commented.

The trio cut the line and Ethan pulled a roll of cash from his inner pocket, handing it to the bouncer, who granted them instant access. They walked through the door and were met by loud music. They cut past tables of people and made their way to the main area.

"Uh, guys," Jane's voice cut through the music into their earpieces, "This place is a _gentleman's_ gentleman's club…"

"What do you mean?" Brandt called back just as the boys entered the main room and spotted the dancers on the stage. All men.

The trio's eyes widened in surprise as scantily-clad men danced on the stage, swung on poles, and had cash tucked into their thongs by richly-dressed men. Not a woman in sight.

"So, if you boys want to try to secure a spot as a dancer, be my guest…" Jane added. "I'm coming your way, Zhen."

The three men looked amongst themselves. "Well, they might recognize me," Ethan argued.

"Yeah, but you're more flexible, they'll like you better" Brandt countered.

They both looked at Benji.

"If I can pass for a stripper, then everyone in the room must be hammered or have weird standards…" he snapped.

Ethan and Brandt looked back at each other. Brandt let out a reluctant sigh.

"I'll see what I can do…" he replied, heading towards the backstage.

Jane couldn't contain a cackle.

Benji and Ethan stifled a laugh before turning their attention to the people seated.

"I can't dance for shit, so maybe we should get a table," Benji offered. Ethan nodded in agreement. The two headed to a table, taking a seat. Ethan put on a pair of glasses and began looking around the room. Benji pulled up a program on his phone and suddenly what Ethan saw through his glasses appeared on Benji's screen, and began analyzing the faces of the people in the images.

Brandt cut through the backstage and entered the dressing room. He began searching for a costume.

"These pants are tear-off," he told the team, horrified. "Ethan, I can't do this."

"What's the big deal, Brandt?" Zhen asked, trying not to laugh, "Just turn on the charm."

"Okay, I take it back," Brandt insisted, "I'm sorry. I will never say anything like that again, but come on. What do I even wear?"

"Very little," Benji replied, watching a man in a g-string swing around upside down on a pole.

Brandt closed his eyes and sighed.

"Just pick something, I think we've got our man," Ethan added, watching a blonde man with a trimmed beard sit at a table with two guards flanking him. The man drank scotch from a tumbler and watched the dancers.

"That's him," Benji confirmed, looking from the screen to the man in question. "Hurry up and seduce him, Brandt."

The agent backstage put on the least revealing briefs he could find. All it did was draw attention to his crotch. He frowned and grabbed some tear-away pants. When it came to finding a shirt, they all clung to him tighter than if it was wet. He stared down at himself in a mirror and grimaced. The stage manager burst into the room.

"You boys are up next!"

Brandt swallowed. "I'm up next…"

Benji and Ethan watched Yanik watch the dancers. None seemed to be pulling enough of his attention.

"Let's hope you're his type," Ethan added.

As some of the dancers left the stage, a handful of men strutted in to replace them. Brandt tried his best to mimic the walk of the others, which involved swinging his hips.

"Oh christ…" Benji commented before nudging Ethan's arm. Ethan turned back to the stage and saw Brandt approach a pole. Thankfully all the dancers were doing their own routines. Brandt awkwardly grabbed the pole and walked around it in a circle.

Yanik nudged one of his guards and the man left the table, heading up to the dancers, and stopped in front of a dancer to Brandt's left. The dancer leaned an ear down toward the guard and exchanged a few inaudible words. He smiled and nodded and dropped from the stage, following the guard to the table. The dancer sat next to him and the pair began flirting.

"Brandt...you're going to have to do something spectacular to draw his attention," Ethan explained, looking from the dancer and Yanik back to Brandt, slowly swinging his hips up on the stage.

Benji ordered a drink and sat back in his seat, smiling as Brandt jumped onto the pole and swung around slowly. Ethan looked at Yanik. The target was too preoccupied with his new toy to register any other dancers.

Brandt turned his attention to Yanik and put on a determined look on his face. He slowly started to strip to the beat, unbuttoning his shirt. A few cheers started. Shedding his shirt he spun around, thrusting his hips. Benji's eyes widened. Suddenly Brandt ripped off his pants and swung them around his head, pulling cheers from audience members.

Benji's mouth dropped open.

Ethan did a double-take before turning his focus back to Yanik. The dancer was getting up and was heading back to the stage.

"This is your chance, Brandt," Ethan called, watching Yanik turn his eyes back to the stage.

Brandt took a deep breath and jumped onto the pole. He gripped the pole tightly with his arms and swung his legs out so he spun around, his body parallel to the ground. This pulled some cheers. Yanik stood up and spoke to his guards, then headed down to a better seat in front of the dancers.

"Keep it up, Brandt," Ethan commented.

"Yeah," Benji chimed in, "I'd tuck a few euros in your speedo!"

Brandt slipped slightly, nearly losing his grip on the pole.

Ethan shot a look at Benji, who grimaced apologetically and mouthed, _sorry_ ,before his drink arrived. He went to sipping his drink and watching Yanik.

Brandt recovered and resumed dancing, pumping his arms and thrusting his hips in tune. Benji's eyes drifted back to Brandt and he raised a brow, shocked at the agent's ability to blend in up there. Suddenly Yanik started to look bored with the dancers and began to stand up. Brandt saw before Ethan or Benji needed to say anything and he jumped on the pole again, gripping with his thighs and leaning back to he spun around upside down.

Patrons began clapping and Yanik stopped, reached into his wallet and threw money on the stage before Brandt, but started to head back.

"It's not working," Brandt commented, breathing heavily as his spinning slowed.

Yanik said something to one of his guards and they started to cross the room, heading for the exit.

"Ethan, he's going to leave," Benji panicked, setting his drink down.

"We can't let him exit, or we'll lose him," Ethan commented.

"Do you want us to intercept him?" Zhen called.

"No, we still need to get close."

"Should I go up to him?" Brandt called, dismounting the pole.

"He'll know something's up…"

Ethan looked at Benji, who took a deep breath and downed his drink. The agent looked at him, puzzled. Benji grimaced at the alcohol burn and took in another deep breath, rising from the table and making a bee-line for Yanik. He bumped into the man and was grabbed by his security. Benji apologized profusely in German and Yanik waved them off.

Benji then made eye-contact with Yanik. "Wow...you have incredibly striking eyes…" Benji told the man in perfect German. Yanik laughed, "You're drunk, my friend."

"Not that drunk yet," Benji countered, "Can I buy you a drink?"

"I was just about to leave," Yanik replied.

"You don't have time for _one_ drink?"

Yanik looked at Benji, who smiled one of his bright adorable smiles. Yanik took the bait.

"One drink," he told Benji, who took the man's hand and lead him to the bar.

Ethan watched the pair and took his seat again. There was a feeling burning in his chest as he watched the two.

Benji leaned heavily against the bar, as if he were much drunker. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have whatever you're having," Yanik told him.

Benji ordered two fruity drinks and turned back to Yanik bashfully.

"I'll admit," he began, "I don't usually come to places like this."

"No?" Yanik replied, "It is a bit pricey."

"Oh, not for lack of money," Benji replied, laying it on thick, "I inherited my father's fortune, I can basically buy anything I want…" he slurred.

"That so?" Yanik asked, pretending to be impressed.

"Except _quality_ company…money can't buy that."

Yanik leaned in close, looking into Benji's eyes. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up at the man's gaze. He tried to keep his cool.

"Money lead you to this moment, no?" Yanik asked.

Benji swallowed. Yanik started to close his eyes and come in closer. Benji quickly slopped his drink down Yanik's front, then giggled, pretending to be embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Benji began frantically, trying to wipe the drink off of Yanik, who was growing annoyed. Benji quickly placed a bug in the man's pant pocket.

"It's...fine," Yanik replied, "I think it's time for me to leave."

"Oh, okay, can I get your number?" Benji asked quickly.

"Um, no."

Yanik quickly slipped away, and one of his guards made sure Benji didn't follow before turning back around to follow the man out. Benji let out a breath he had been holding since he walked over and his eyes went to Ethan.

As Yanik reached the exit, one of his guards stopped him. A man of military build walked up to Yanik and they began talking in hushed tones.

"Our facial recognition picked up Ethan Hunt," the military man explained.

"Here?" Yanik asked, looking around.

"On this street. He might be coming here. We told you to change up your routine. Your schedule is too predictable."

Yanik continued scanning the crowd, "Have your men sweep the building for him!"

"They are already on it."

Ethan's attention turned to tall imposing men making rounds. He quickly looked from the men to Brandt on the stage to Benji who was making his way back to the table.

"Flirting in German is like cutting a wire with a hammer," Benji told him.

Ethan stood and grabbed Benji's wrist, pulling him towards the exit, but a man came in through that way and began scanning the crowd. He spun around, looking for any possible exit. Suddenly two guards were approaching the pair from two different directions. There was no way out. Brandt looked to them in the crowd.

"Ethan, they're headed for you," Brandt called as his group began to leave the poles and head for backstage.

Benji spotted the guards and frantically looked for a way out, "Ethan, what do we do?"

Ethan looked from the guards to the stage to Benji, then an idea hit him.

"Kiss me," Ethan ordered.

"I-what?" Benji asked, staring perplexed at Ethan.

"Kiss me, they won't give us a second glance."

"Um…"

They were out of time. Before Benji could agree, Ethan grabbed him by the lapels and kissed him, full on. Benji slowly closed his eyes and threaded his fingers through Ethan's hair, pulling the agent as close to him as he could. The kissing was frantic, passionate.

One of the guards looked in the pair's direction and looked away quickly, clearly uncomfortable with the PDA and joined the other guard, who took off in another direction away from the exit. The coast was clear, but the two still kissed. Ethan pulled back slowly, opening his eyes. Benji's eyes drifted open, and his mouth hung agape. The two stared at each other a minute before Ethan looked around and spotted the coast being clear, he pulled Benji towards the exit.

Ethan and Benji climbed into the car. Benji still said nothing.

"Brant, meet up with Zhen and Jane," Ethan called, "We are going to be drawing too much attention."

He looked in his rearview and spotted a guard look at them and then dash for a black car. Ethan peeled out of the lot and sped down the street.

Brandt exited out the back and ran towards the meet-point. The van doors slid open and Brandt dove in, the women shutting the door behind him. Brandt caught his breath and began putting his clothes back on. The women gave him pitying looks.

"I am so so sorry," was all Brandt had to say.

In the Aston Martin, Ethan swerved through the streets, weaving between cars and checking the rearview. Still Benji said nothing. He pressed a hand to his ear to block out all but the bug.

"Sir, I think we have tail on Hunt!"

"Get him!" The military man ordered, "Take care of him then meet back at the hotel. The chopper is leaving at 11, if you are not on it we are leaving without you."

Benji began frantically typing and pulled up a gps, pinging from Yanik's location in the club.

"Do you have a track on Yanik?" Ethan called over calmly, turning the wheel back and forth.

Benji looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"The kiss," Benji finally said aloud, "Was that because of what happened in Scotland?"

Ethan's eyes snapped to Benji, "I thought you said you didn't know what happened."

Benji stayed silent before the back windshield blew out in a shower of gunfire. Benji and Ethan ducked down quickly, trying to peek behind them at their assailants. Ethan veered the car down a small alley and the car following them slowed to make the turn.

"If Hunt is onto us then he might know about DC," Yanik said.

Benji looked over at Ethan as the agent dodged and swerved the car.

"We should move it to the Grant instead of the Polk, just in case."

"Did you catch that?" Ethan asked into his mic.

"Move from Polk to Grant in DC," Brandt repeated, "What do you think? Hotels?"

Brandt looked at Jane, who typed rapidly. "The Polk's ballroom is currently reserved for a business retreat," she confirmed.

"Head to the airport, we'll meet you there after we lose these guys," Ethan told the other members.

"No, Ethan, we can meet you to head them off," Zhen insisted.

"No good," Ethan dictated, "I don't want to lead them to you. We'll meet you after."

"Good luck, Ethan," Brandt sighed.

The van started and Brandt and the other agents sped off.

Ethan turned down an alley too late and clipped the side-view mirror off. Benji stayed surprisingly quiet.

"Are you hit?" Ethan called to him.

"What? No, I'm fine."

The car was gaining on them.

"I can't lose these guys," Ethan lamented, skidding the car around another turn.

Benji pulled a gun from the glove box, "Loop around them, I can try to get a shot at them."

Ethan's brow furrowed, "I'll just keep trying to get them caught."

"Ethan, I can take a shot at them," Benji insisted.

Ethan looked at his passenger and doubled back, Benji nodded and leaned out the window. The car appeared and Benji unloaded at the driver, causing them to swerve. Ethan drifted the car down an alley just before the cars would have collided. Benji loaded another mag into the gun and prepared to shoot again. The car followed them down the alley. Benji stuck his head out the window and shot again. He nicked the passenger, and stuck his head back inside before a man in the back seat poked his gun out and blind-fired.

"Hang on," Ethan called, taking a sharp turn that threw Benji against his door. They sped off down another street and started gaining space. Benji poked his arm and gun out again, but in a hail of bullets the gun was shot out of his hand.

"Shit!" Benji yelled, yanking his hand back in.

"Did you get hit?"

"No," Benji shook his head, examining his hand. "The gun got hit, not me. I'm good." The tech was breathing heavily, much more aware of his own mortality in that moment.

Ethan swerved again and ducked into a parking garage, looping around sharply and parking the car right before hitting the wall. Their pursuers went speeding down the street, missing them. The sound of their roaring engine slowly died out as they drove into the distance.

The men let out heavy breaths.

"We should change cars," Ethan announced.

"Good plan."


	6. Best Laid Plans

Ch. 6: Best Laid Plans

The team regrouped in DC, all gathered around a table, planning out their next move. Jane briefed them on the layout of the hotel. Their plan was to take out the guards and take Yanik's place at the meeting. Ethan would go as Yanik, and the team would go as guards. Benji nodded along and then talked about the layout of security. While at the meeting, they would gather intel and grab Kane if he showed. 'Yanik' would lure him away to speak to privately about Ethan, and the team would grab him, pulling him from the meeting. Then Brandt would go back out as Kane and disband the meeting.

"So, masks, then," Brandt announced, pulling out equipment to begin the construction.

"Great...Ethan as Yanik, Brandt as Kane...am I going as security?" Benji asked, running a hand through his beard.

He looked to Ethan, who drew a breath. "You're on Hunley duty."

Benji's eyes narrowed and a frown started, "What do you mean, Hunley duty?"

"We need someone to stay here with Hunley just in case."

"Why don't you have me watch the car while you lot go in?" Benji snapped before turning to Hunley, "No offense, sir."

"None taken," the director replied softly.

Ethan walked up to Benji and spoke quietly, "You're the best man for the command center job. There's no one I'd rather be my eyes."

"Bullshit. Hunley can do the job, I thought I was on-hand for this one."

"I think it's best this way."

"Best for who? Why are you sidelining me, Ethan? Haven't I proved to you that you can use me in the field? After everything with the Syndicate? You need me out there."

"I need you here."

Benji walked away from Ethan and went up to Brandt, who was trying to look like he heard nothing.

"What am I not being told?"

Brandt looked apologetically to Benji.

"Brandt," Benji replied threateningly.

"There's a chance it is a trap. That they wanted us to know about the meeting," Brandt replied quietly.

"So what if it is, you all can risk your lives but I can't?" Benji looked back at Ethan, "Like I'm some petulant child in a time-out?"

Ethan sighed, his shoulders dropping, "It's my call."

"I've been in danger before, damn near every time you get behind the wheel," Benji joked.

"Benji…"

He shook his head, "I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"

"Benji, listen," Ethan continued.

"No, honestly, do you not think I am capable of handling myself? Is it because-"

"You're _not_ _ready_ for this, Benji!"

The room went quiet. Benji was stung.

"I'm leading this team, I make the decision," Ethan spoke the words and ignored the taste they left in his mouth.

Benji swallowed down his feelings, "I see," he replied and left the room.

Brandt looked, wide-eyed from Ethan to Benji and watched the latter head down the hall. The room began bustling again, but when there was a lull in activity, Brandt hovered next to Ethan, wanting to say something, but not sure what.

"Can I help you with something, Brandt?"

Brandt paused a moment, looked back the way Benji left, then looked back at Ethan.

"What's going on with you and Benji?"

"You sound like Luther," Ethan laughed, "Butting in where you shouldn't."

"Luther said you'd say that," Brandt replied casually.

Ethan stopped what he was doing and turned to the other agent, "Luther?"

"Yeah."

"You talk about me to Luther?"

Brandt nodded.

"You _talk_ _to_ Luther? I didn't know you two were so chummy…"

"Well," Brandt began, "Now that he knows he can trust me we are on good terms. I was concerned about you and so I talked to him about advice."

Ethan shot him a look.

"I'm only trying to help. So...what _is_ going on?"

"Nothing," Ethan replied, laughing and shaking his head. He walked over to the desk to check on the progress of the mask.

"Luther said you'd say that too, and I was supposed to call bullshit. I think he's right."

"That so?" Ethan asked, uninterested.

Brandt plopped into a chair and shot the back of Ethan's head a look.

"Seriously…"

Ethan didn't reply. Brandt let out a sigh and got up. "Luther gives his blessing, if that makes any difference."

Ethan turned around to look at Brandt, but the agent had turned and headed out of the room.

When the gear was finished and the team began to pack their equipment, Ethan went to find Benji. He found him tinkering in the lab quietly. Focused and determined. Ethan felt guilty for saying what he did. It wasn't true. He trusted Benji, but didn't trust himself to keep the other man safe. This mission was too close to home. Last time things got this dicey, he nearly lost everything. Ultimately down the road, he did.

"Benji...we're leaving. I just wanted to say…"

Benji swung around on his chair, angry frown on his face. In his hand was what looked like a dog tag, "This is possibly the world's strongest panic button," he began drly.

Ethan walked closer, looking at it.

"Pressing the little button in the middle will send a signal back to me that can be traced to practically anywhere and in near any condition. It can be a good distance below the earth, in many tunnels. The only thing that will impede the signal for certain is a faraday cage."

He handed it to Ethan, who opened his mouth to refuse.

"I will stay on the condition that you take that with you and use it if you need it," Benji interrupted.

Ethan knew he was serious.

"Take it or I'm going."

"Thank you," Ethan replied quietly.

Benji allowed a palm-raising shrug.

Ethan felt he should say something, but Benji beat him to it.

"You should get going. Good luck."

Ethan clapped a hand on the tech's shoulder, "Thank you, Benji. You too."

He turned to exit, leaving Benji behind.


	7. DC Meet and Greet

Ch. 7: DC Meet and Greet

Benji and Hunley sat together, watching the team track Yanik and his guards. Benji chewed gum slowly, being eerily silent. Hunley took notice and stared at him. The agent paid no attention to the director.

On the monitor, Ethan and the team ambushed a hotel room, taking out the guards with suppressors. Benji almost seemed bored. Brandt knocked out Yanik and the team pulled him over to the desk to tie him up. Jane injected Yanik with a syringe, guaranteeing they had plenty of time for the man to be out. The men began changing into their disguises while Jane and Zhen prepared weapons and gear for the next step.

"We're all good, here," Ethan called in, "Moving to the lobby in five."

"Good work, Ethan," Hunley replied, pressing a mic button on the desk.

Benji said nothing. Hunley looked over the agent before just deciding to ask.

"Is...there something going on with you and Ethan?"

Benji let out a lengthy groan. Then, "Nothing's going on."

"Are you sure…?" Hunley asked with a little laugh.

Benji just shook his head and let the silence resume. Hunley watched the team on the monitor.

"It's my fault," He told Benji after a moment, who turned in his chair to look at the director.

"What is?"

"All of this. I should have given Kane the time. If I hadn't put so much pressure on him, all of this wouldn't have happened."

Benji let out a little sigh, "It's not your fault, sir. Kane's wife...it's tragic, but nothing could have been done. Not even Kane could have stopped it. Everyone tries to take responsibility or blame someone else, because it's easier to think you had control and made a mistake than admit it's beyond you. At least that way you think you have the power to stop it from happening again."

He looked over at Hunley and shrugged, "Hell of a lot less scary than the truth."

Hunley sighed. "I still feel guilty. Responsible."

Benji nodded, then started shaking his head, "You know what? No," he began, swinging his chair to face Hunley again, "Yes, there's something going on. _Ethan_ feels guilty." Benji has clearly been storing these words, waiting to let them out. "He's broken up about Julia and he can't allow himself to feel the things he feels because he thinks what happened to her will happen again. _Well_ ," He huffed, turning to the screen, "I'm not Julia, _Ethan_!" he declared, unheard by the agent.

"Julia?" Hunley asked.

"His ex-wife...or wife. I don't know. She's dead, officially, but apparently she's not, but they aren't a thing anymore."

Hunley opened a can of worms with his question, and there was no sign of them stopping from pouring out. "Oh," he replied, thinking that would be the end of things.

"I had been at IMF for a while, but didn't know Ethan _that_ long when he and Julia were a thing. I basically broke every IMF law to help him, we had a very different secretary at the time, that was two back, actually-"

"Benji, the point," Hunley cut in.

"She had been kidnapped and Ethan had to save her. I wasn't a field agent then, but I helped him find her. It really...got to him. I don't know what happened after they came back to the States, but they haven't been together for years. We all thought she was dead. And now I think he's all torn up because does 'til death do us part' still apply? Are they no longer an item because she is technically dead? Technicality out the window...does he still love her? His loyalty is split and I don't think he knows how to deal with it."

Benji sighed, "I don't think he knows what his feelings are…"

Hunley paused a moment. "Do you?"

Benji looked down, then his eyes flicked to Hunley, "No," he replied before laughing. "...Maybe, but it doesn't mean shit if he doesn't feel anything."

"Strictly...off the record," Hunley began, "If you want an outside perspective...I think he does."

"Well," Benji huffed, "You should tell _him_ that."

"We're on the move," Ethan confirmed in his mic, now dressed as Yanik.

Ethan, Brandt, and Zhen left the room, Jane headed down to the basement to tap into the camera feeds. The trio calmly walked to the lobby. Ethan checked his watch. Right on time. He entered the ballroom, flanked by Brandt and Zhen. On Jane's screen, she reached the electrical room and opened one of the panels, exposing wires. Benji leaned forward and pressed the mic button.

"Don't try looping the feed, we have a new technique for piggybacking where-"

"Benji," Jane cut in, sympathetic but stern, "I know how to do my job."

Benji raised his hands defensively and sat back in his chair. He began fidgeting. He couldn't help but feel useless in his current position. He should be in the field. He didn't go through all the training and tests to be left behind when things were this important. It wasn't just a mission. Someone was specifically trying to target Ethan, and Benji wasn't about to let that slide.

He started drumming nervously. Hunley flashed him a look and he stopped.

In the ballroom, various nicely-dressed men and women of various militarial presence were gathered. They chatted amongst themselves. A broad-shouldered woman spotted 'Yanik' and crossed the room in short stride. "Yanik!"

Ethan turned to her and smiled lightly.

Jane began scanning the crowd for the woman's face.

Benji pulled up a laptop and typed furiously, hands flying across the keys, eyes scanning back and forth. Before Jane opened her mouth, Benji spoke.

"Miranda Cage, former special forces. Officially dead 7 months ago."

Miranda cocked her head to the side. "Haven't seen you in a while, Yanik, how've you been?"

Benji began typing faster, searching for the connection. Jane beat him to it.

"Joint operation, two years back, France. Hairy situation."

"You got shot," Benji added.

"She got stabbed," Jane interjected.

Ethan tried to contain the slight annoyance at all the commotion. "Better than last time," Ethan told Miranda. "What about you?"

"Not bad. Death looks good on you."

"Better on you," Ethan told her.

"Easy," Hunley called in, "He's supposed to be gay."

"Maybe not everyone knows," Jane offered.

" _Or_...sexuality exists on a longer plane than just gay or straight," Benji cut in, leaning to the mic.

Ethan reached to his ear, pretending to rub his lobe, and pulled out his earpiece.

Miranda let out a laugh.

Benji sat back in his chair, resigned.

Ethan slid his hand comfortably into his pocket, dropping the earpiece.

"It's been too long. It's too bad we couldn't have met up under less unpleasant circumstances."

"Too true, so where is our lovely host?" Ethan asked, looking around.

"Well, you know him, if it isn't over-the-top dramatic, it isn't Kane…"

Ethan smiled, eyes scanning for Kane.

"Come here, there's someone I want you to meet," Miranda told him before exchanging glances with Brandt and Zhen. "Leave your guard dogs, they creep me out."

Brandt tensed, but Ethan turned calmly and nodded to him. Ethan and Miranda walked away from the pair and walked up to a burly man standing stock still with a bunch of bald men donning all black.

"Yanik, this is Titus Johansson. He's our largest benefactor. He runs the best for-hire army in Europe."

"The trick to keeping my business open is secrecy," Titus shot at her, then turned to Ethan, "But I'm always interested in securing future business partners."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. The word going around the circles is that your men had a run-in with Hunt."

Everyone's ears perked.

"It's true. In Germany. He caught my scent somehow. He managed to get away."

"You don't suppose he suspects?" Titus asked, scanning the crowd's faces.

"No, I think we've got Hunt right where we want him…"

Titus grunted, "I think Kane is a fool to be playing these games. If it were me, I'd have put all my man-power into just killing Hunt. The boy thinks he's the only one scorched by the IMF?"

"Well, Titus, that's where you've come in," Miranda began, "It just requires a little patience. It's nearly time, just keep your eyes peeled."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Benji leaned in closer to the screen, "For _what_?"

The clock up on the stage of the ballroom ticked to the next second and a sudden explosion rocked the headquarters building, sending Benji and Hunley flying.


	8. A Quick Exit

Ch. 8: A Quick Exit

Benji popped his head up, coughing out the concrete dust that had filled his lungs. The room was dim, the monitors flickered and glitched. A fluorescent light hanging precariously on one end by a chord swung back and forth. Sparks shot out at Benji from the computers and he jumped, frantically looking around. Hunley was on his back, groaning and sitting up slowly.

Benji's heart was pounding in his ears. He tried to steady his breathing and focus. His first thought wanted to trick him into thinking it was some kind of accident, but the dread pouring into his chest wouldn't allow him to believe it. He scrambled on tattered hands and knees to a gun in one of the desk drawers. With shaking hands he jammed a magazine into the gun and sat on the floor, back to an overturned desk.

"What happened…?" Hunley asked, coughing.

"We're under attack."

Benji peeked his head over the desk and spotted heavily-armed soldiers sweeping the hall outside the room. He ducked back down, steadying his breathing. Hunley spotted the soldier and leaned against the desk by Benji. The secretary shook his head.

"I need to get to a gun," Hunley whispered.

"We can hit the cache on the way to the west exit…"

"No, we need to go to my office. We have to get word out to Hunt. They might not know what's going on."

Benji felt panic rise up. They weren't too far from a low-key exit. Hunley's office was in the other direction.

"We can contact Ethan when we get out of the building," he whispered quickly.

"We might not get out of this building. We have to get a message to them."

The agent next to him shut his eyes and let out a scared huff. His eyes flicked open, "Okay. I'll cover you."

Benji's head popped up again and he spotted a gap in the patrol. "Go, go!"

Back in the hotel, Brandt and Zhen's earpieces immediately cut out with a zap of static. They looked to each other and to Ethan, who was still blending in with the crowd.

"Did I lose you guys?" Jane called.

"Still here," Brandt confirmed quietly, "Zhen and Ethan are with me."

"Benji?"

Jane got no answer.

"Benji? Hunley?" She tried, getting louder.

Brandt and Zhen started to tense up.

"Something is wrong," Zhen mumbled, "We need to pull Ethan."

Brandt walked up to Ethan quickly and calmly, pulling a cell phone from his pocket, "Sir, it's about the account in Zurich."

"Can't you see he's busy?" Miranda barked.

"It's urgent," Brandt snapped, turning back to Ethan. "The Englishman has pulled out."

Ethan turned to the partygoers, "Excuse me, I have to take this."

Ethan followed Brandt away from the group.

"We lost contact with Benji, the comms went down. We don't know what happened."

"It's been almost an hour...Kane hasn't showed," Ethan replied, frustrated.

"What's the plan?" Zhen asked as they approached.

Ethan pretended to take a call and slipped his earpiece back in.

"Benji...Benji are you there?"

No response, no sound.

Ethan glanced back at Miranda who looked from Ethan to the clock and back at him, smirking.

"We have to go," Ethan decided, "We have to grab Yanik and leave."

The trio left the ballroom. Miranda whispered to Titus as the doors closed.

Back at HQ, the pair slowly snuck their way from room to room, hiding among the rubble of the explosion. Benji stepped over bodies of technicians that were in the various labs. He shook his head, angry at the havoc wreaked here. They finally reached Hunley's office door when a straggling soldier turned the corner and spotted them. He raised his gun, but Benji fired first, hitting the man in the chest and knocking him to the ground.

Benji grimaced as the sound bounced off the walls. That was going to be heard for many floors.

"I hit him, but I think I caught his vest," Benji told Hunley. "Just get the door open."

Benji held his gun, poised to fire again if needed. Hunley unlocked the door and the two made their way inside. Benji stood guard at the entrance while the secretary tried turning on monitors. Nothing connected.

"I can't get it," Hunley announced. Benji turned around and took one last look into the hall before running up to the desk. He held out the handgun.

"Take it, I'll get this," Benji dropped to his knees and crawled under Hunley's desk, disconnecting wires and plugging things in. Hunley took over Benji's position at the door and watched for any signs of someone coming. The tech opened a laptop and began typing quickly, straining to see in the dark.

"Dunn...someone's coming," Hunley whispered. Benji worked faster. Suddenly a series of beeps rang from the laptop, ushering a strong "Shh" from Benji. The soldier outside turned to the door and Hunley started firing. The soldier took cover behind a wall.

In the hotel, Ethan raced up the stairs, followed by Brandt and Zhen. They reached the hall and opened the door, only to see heavily-armed men creeping down the way towards them. Sudden static crackled in Ethan's ear, and a grumbled "Work with me, ya twat!" cut through.

"Benji?" Ethan whispered, his voice still not his own. He had never been so relieved at expletives in his life.

"Ethan! Look, we don't have much time. HQ was attacked. Hunley and I are pinned down in his office. We're going to try to get to the safehouse, but we have to hurry. They might be onto you too, so get out!"

"We're almost back to the room, we've got Yanik," Brandt chimed in.

Ethan was shaking his head at Benji's words, "You need to get out of there now, Benji. Just get as far away from there as possible. I'm coming to get you."

"No, no good, there's too many of them. You'll never be able to reach us."

Brandt and Zhen rushed through the door and into the hall, taking out the guards with the suppressed weapons. Zhen looked back to Ethan, who was torn about his position.

"Go, we will meet Jane and go to the rendezvous point," Zhen replied, shaking her head, "Just hurry."

Ethan nodded to her and Brandt and took off back down the stairs, heading out the back door and peeling off his mask.

"Benji! Benji, you still there?"

Back in the office, Benji felt some comfort at hearing Ethan's voice again.

He looked to Hunley, who was firing out the door.

"Uh...Ethan, it's not looking so good."

"I'm coming to get you!" Ethan replied, panting as he ran.

"...There's no time…" Benji swallowed, clutching the laptop.

"Don't say that! I can get to you! Just stay hidden."

Benji crawled to the desk and pulled open the drawers, finding another handgun. He opened it, checking the magazine. Quickly, he snapped it back into place, knowing he had to make his shots count.

"I have to go," Benji replied grimly, standing up. He couldn't quite bring himself to turn off the com.

"Benji, just wait! I will get to you. Find somewhere to hide. I will come for you both. I can get you out!"

Benji let out a little laugh, "It's not your decision to make, Ethan. I'm a field agent. I have to go."

Benji walked over to the door, standing with his back to the wall, gun up ready to fight.

"We need to keep moving, sir," Benji advised.

"Benji, wait!" echoed from under the desk as the two men fired out the door and ran, heading down another hall.


	9. Fight

Ch. 9: Fight

Benji and Hunley cut through a room in one door and out the other side, coming face to face with soldiers. The pair fired at the men, taking out one each and causing the third to duck for cover. They continued running, firing as they went. They reached a stretch of hall but it was packed full of soldiers.

"Back! Back!" Benji called, turning around and running in another direction.

Hunley hurried after him, head on a swivel as they sprinted. Suddenly a hail of bullets hit the wall in front of them. They ducked and kept running. Benji jumped over a flipped desk and they crouched a moment behind it. The pair were breathing heavy. Hunley was panicked.

"That exit is blocked, the first is too far, we can't get out…" he replied, checking how many rounds he had left.

"I've got a plan, sir," Benji replied. "The northeast fire-escape. You can't get in that way, but you can get out, it drops you to tunnel access. We can get there and close the way so they can't follow. I had it set up for emergencies, seems like it was a good idea."

A spray of bullets hit near them. They flinched, ducking down. Benji loaded another magazine into his gun.

"You ready?" He asked. Hunley nodded. They stood together, turning back and firing. Hunley turned to run and Benji fired off a few more rounds before following behind. They broke into a full sprint, barrelling down the hall. Down the way, they could see the escape door.

Suddenly a bullet whizzed past Benji and hit Hunley in the arm. He dropped his gun and stumbled, falling to the ground. Benji turned back and fired, killing the attacker. He whipped back, grabbing Hunley and the dropped gun. He pulled the secretary to his feet.

"Run, I'll cover you!"

Hunley did as he was told and ran for the door, bursting through it, he held it open for Benji. The agent continued firing, but more soldiers were pouring onto the floor through the stair exit at the opposite end of the hall. Benji turned back to run and a soldier with a rifle looked down his scope and fired a well-aimed shot.

Benji's left leg was clipped. The agent fell to the ground and began crawling, groaning in pain. The other soldiers sprayed the exit door, causing Hunley to shut it and step back. When the soldiers had to reload, Benji popped up his head and fired before dragging himself behind a wall.

Hunley opened the door again.

"Throw me a gun, Dunn, I can try to cover you."

Benji looked from the man to back where the soldiers had gathered. Off to his left was more hallway. His eyes went to his leg. It was bleeding pretty heavily. He wouldn't get very far. The sight of his own blood-soaked trousers made him snap his eyes shut and lean his head back against the wall.

"Benji! Come on. You're not far," Hunley moved to come back into the hall.

"Stop!" Benji commanded, holding up his hand, tears were forming in his eyes, partly from the pain, and partly for what he was going to have to say next.

"I can't. I'll only slow you down. You'll never make it. They will catch us. They will _kill_ us," he managed, "You have to go."

"What are you talking about?" Hunley called, even though he knew Benji was right.

"You have to go. There is a bolt on the other side of the door. It will buy you time. You can make it. Find Ethan, tell him everything."

Hunley opened his mouth to protest, but the tear that dripped down Benji's cheek reminded him the man was right. He felt a pull in his chest.

"Benji, I am so sorry…"

Benji nodded, "You have to go. Get to the safehouse," he choked out, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"We will come back for you," Hunley tried to reassure him.

Benji smiled sadly, more tears gathering. The face of a man who knew he was going to die.

Hunley ducked behind the door as more shots were fired. Benji poked his arm around the corner, firing blindly. The shooting lulled again. Hunley peeked out one more time and then turned to leave.

"Wait-wait," Benji called. Hunley stopped. "Tell Ethan that I'm sorry. Sorry for everything. Can you tell him that...that his driving isn't _that_ bad," He and Hunley shared a broken laugh, "And that...that he can't let this end him. Please. Will you tell him?"

"I will," Hunley nodded. He lingered by the door.

"Go," Benji called, "Before I take you up on your offer to help."

Hunley nodded solemnly and shut the door, locking it. Benji felt a crushing weight in his chest. Grabbing the wall, he pulled himself to his feet with a terrible groan. The soldiers were closing in. Benji poked out around the side and fired with both guns, letting out a war cry. The soldiers ducked for cover, and Benji hobbled down the hall the other way, heading for an exit, any exit he could.

The soldiers rushed up, turning the corner. Some checked the fire escape door, but found it wouldn't budge. Benji stumbled and fired behind him, dragging his hurt leg. He turned another corner, running into another man. He fired until the gun in his right hand was out of bullets. He dropped the gun and switched the remaining one to his right hand. Now having a free left hand, he held his leg as he tried to limp away. He let out pained groans with every step, sweat pouring from his brow. He made it to a stairway and went down a few floors.

He burst in through the door onto the bottom floor and was met with more soldiers. He fired, ducking behind a wall. He poked out, shooting and hitting a soldier. An opening developed and he began to hobble quickly, laying down cover fire for himself until he was out of bullets. A soldier came in through the exit and Benji pulled the trigger, his gun clicking. The soldier raised his weapon and Benji threw his gun at the man's face, surprising him. Benji tried to limp past, but as he pushed through the doors and into the night, the soldier caught back up and shoved Benji in the back, sending him toppling to the ground.

A van was waiting at the front and several men jumped out, running over to Benji and pulling him to his feet and toward the car. He had been so close.

"...Always a goddamn van…" Benji sobbed, lip quivering with tears.

One man put a bag over Benji's head and he was thrown into the back. The van's wheels screeched and the vehicle peeled out, backed up by several trucks loaded with men.

On the other side of the building, Hunley dropped from the last bit of the escape and headed for the tunnel. Upon reaching the tunnel, another explosion hit the IMF building, making Hunley stumble into the wall of the tunnel. He turned back to the building.

"Oh god…"

He shook his head, but knew he had to keep moving. He turned towards the tunnel and ran, not looking back.


	10. Gone

Ch. 10: Gone

Ethan came to a skidding halt before the IMF building. Several of the floors' windows were blown out, smoke billowing out from the gaps. The entire compound was surrounded by firetrucks and ambulances. Men and women scuttling around. Employees were being corralled to the backs of the ambulances as rescue workers yelled to one another, directing and carrying the injured. Ethan's eyes scanned the faces of the people exiting the building. Benji's face was not among them.

Suddenly Ethan's phone rang. He yanked it from his pocket, answering the call frantically.

"Benji?"

A sad sigh came from the other side, "It's Hunley."

"Mr. Secretary," Ethan replied, trying to calm his nerves, "Are you safe? Is Benji with you?"

"I'm at the safehouse."

There was a pause.

"Hunt..." the man began, "Benji was hit. Leg. We couldn't both get out."

The ground felt like it was dropping out from under Ethan's feet.

"He held them off so I could get to the safehouse. I told him we'd come back for him, but as soon as I left the building...another explosion hit."

A mix of anger and sadness bubbled up.

"Are you hurt, sir?" Ethan choked out.

"I was hit, just in the arm. I patched it up. I can meet you-"

"No, sir. Stay at the safehouse. I'll have agents sent to you."

"Ethan, I'm...I'm so sorry…"

Ethan shook his head, his need for vengeance creeping up. He walked closer to the scene. "I'm going to look for him. In the rubble. I'm going to find him."

"Ethan, I don't think he-"

"I'm going to find him."

"Good luck, Ethan."

Ethan ended his call and cut past the line of tape, looking up at the building. A cop walked up to him, holding up his hands to block Ethan from getting through.

"Please back away, sir," the cop called.

"Are there any more people inside?"

"They're being cleared out."

Ethan pushed past the cop and ran in, taking the building floor by floor, looking for Benji, coming up empty each time. He couldn't be sure how much time had passed. When there was still no sign, he ran back outside, scanning the injured again and again. Frustrated, he ran up to a medic.

"I'm looking for someone. About my height. Brown hair. Blue eyes. Trimmed beard. Gunshot wound to the leg."

The medic shook his head. "That description could have been anyone…"

Ethan let out a desperate huff.

"Wait," the medic paused, "Gunshot, you said?"

"Yes. In the leg. _At least_ there."

The medic's brow furrowed, "Everyone I saw or treated only sustained blast wounds or blast- _related_. I didn't see anyone shot."

The medic rushed off.

"They targeted him, didn't they?" A deep booming voice asked from behind Ethan. The agent turned around to find Luther Stickell frowning sympathetically at him.

"Brandt," Luther told him, answering the question Ethan didn't have to ask.

Ethan turned back to the building, his eyes scanning the area.

"They came for him and Hunley. They didn't care about the rest of them. They did the damage they wanted, but if they wanted to do more they could have. There are too many survivors."

"The party at the hotel was a trap," Luther added, shaking his head.

"I thought it was a trap for me, but they did it again...they pulled me away from Benji. They knew I'd distance myself from him. I did exactly what they wanted me to...and now…" he trailed off.

"It's not your fault, Ethan," Luther began.

"No," Ethan cut in, looking around, "Something's missing. He's not here. Rand said Kane wanted me to suffer, they wouldn't just kill Benji he'd-"

Ethan stopped, his eyes widening.

"He'd what?"

Ethan pulled out his phone, calling Hunley back.

"Hunley, tell me Rand is still in the custody of the CIA."

"What?"

"The men who attacked you are Titus Johansson's men. Kane might know how to hit the IMF, but more than likely he'd need someone who had been there recently. Rand."

"I-I'll look into it. Have you found Benji?"

"No...not yet."

Ethan hung up again, turning to Luther.

"Rand tells them how to hit us. They set up the meet so we'll all be gone except for Hunley and Benji…"

"Which one is the target?"

"Both, in a way. Kane hates Hunley for the pressure he put on him and the fact he joined our team, and he hates me because he was after me when his wife died."

"So you think he grabbed Benji?"

"I don't know. If he did...he'd have them leave something behind. If Benji was dead...they'd put him on display for me. He wouldn't just be found in the rubble. Miranda said patience. This was planned. Kane wants it as personal as possible…"

"So there must be something here."

Luther and Ethan headed for the building, waiting to go inside, when a cell phone on the ground caught Ethan's eye. No damage on the phone. Ethan picked it up, pressing the home button to turn it on. The background image was a bruised and battered Benji. Ethan's jaw clenched. Opening the phone, he searched the contents. One contact number was inside.

Ethan's phone rang, he handed it to Luther, who answered. His expression soured and he sighed, hanging up the phone.

"Rand escaped," Luther told Ethan, who was staring intensely at the number. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Ethan didn't answer, only pressed the call button, holding the phone to his ear. The phone was answered on the first ring.

"Ethan Hunt?" the voice asked.

"Who is this?"

"Mr. Kane wants you to got to 716 Stanford Avenue. 7:30am. Come alone."

"I swear to god-"

The line went dead. Ethan shook his head, ready to smash the phone. He looked at the background picture another time and let out an angry groan.

Luther pulled up the address on his phone. "It's a parking lot."

"We have to find where they are keeping Benji…"

"Do you think somewhere close?"

"No. Kane'd keep a distance from all of this…" he rubbed his hand across his face, frantically thinking. Then an idea hit him. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled a dog-tag hanging from his neck out to look at. Yanking it off, he examined it, running a thumb over the discreet button.

He looked to Luther, "World's strongest tracking device…" he whispered, his eyes lighting up with realization. "Benji gave this to me. Can you trace back to the other end?"

Luther nodded, taking it from him, "If Benji still has the receiver on him, we'll find it."

In Luther's truck, he typed frantically on a laptop, until a bleep echoed, Ethan's eyes snapping to the screen. "Seattle," Luther announced, staring at the map. He turned to Ethan, who was exiting the truck, putting the dog tag back around his neck.

"Do you need the address?" Luther asked snorting.

"I got it," Ethan told him, walking away.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ethan stopped, turning, "1303 3rd Avenue, Seattle, Washington."

Luther shot him a look, "You think I come all the way from my vacation to DC just to have you walk away from me now?"

Ethan shook his head, "I'm not risking any more people. That's what caused this."

"It sounds like putting Benji on the side is what did this."

Ethan fired a glare.

"Alright, I'm sorry-that was uncalled for. Look, all I'm trying to say is, don't make this a suicide mission. You've got people who've got your back. People who want to help."

"I can't lose anyone else. No one else."

Luther's eyes softened as he saw the desperation in Ethan's.


	11. Suicide Mission

Ch. 11: Suicide Mission

It was a quiet night outside the Seattle compound. A low-key series of buildings lining the shore. It had a modest lot filled with black vehicles of varying sizes. The sky, polluted with the lights of the city slowly turned softer with the expanding sliver of light on the horizon. Morning would be approaching in a few hours. A skeleton crew of armed guards roamed the premises and paid little attention to the sound of a motorbike nearing in the distance.

When the roaring of the bike grew louder, a single guard turned his face to the source of the noise, and had no time to react to a bullet piercing through his skull. The remaining guards turned to the biker, who dove from his vehicle with precision and grace, rolling swiftly up onto one knee and firing up at the lookouts. An alarm sounded immediately, and Ethan Hunt waited, armed to the teeth, poised on his knee, raising a rifle.

"Come out and face me, you bastard," he grumbled to himself.

The alarm honked, cutting into the otherwise still night. A door raised and more guards came out. Many began shooting. One called out to them, raising a fist, "It's Hunt! Don't kill him! Kane wants him alive!"

"Good luck with that," Ethan smirked, tossing an unpinned grenade into the door opening. The guards dove from the rolling ball, trying to get away before the blast sent them flying. Ethan ran through the door, rifle trained. Some more guards came to intercept him, but were quickly gunned down.

Turning to head down another corridor, he was intercepted by more soldiers. Ethan popped out and fired, taking down another guard. Suddenly some soldiers tried to come in the way Ethan did, firing at him. He shot back, forcing them to move back for cover. He was surrounded. Leaning around, Ethan fired at the group ahead of him and waited to fire again at the crew behind him. One of the men clipped Ethan in his vest. He jerked into the wall, but returned fire.

He wounded the guard, who fell back towards the group, "He's got a vest!" he warned the other soldiers.

"Vest, vest!" shouted a soldier who seemed most in charge. Suddenly a pair moved forward, training their guns at Ethan's chest. Ethan fired, hitting a soldier, but was hit in the chest again. He let out a groan, unpinning another grenade and throwing it at the back group. Raising his gun, he faced the front group and sprayed. The second hit took the breath out of him, and it was beginning to blur his vision. The grenade blew, causing a distraction Ethan took advantage.

Blinking out the fog, he fired at the front group, hitting another soldier. He took a moment to regain his breath and peeked at the back group. Only a few left. Suddenly a canister rolled across the ground and stopped by Ethan's feet. 'Concussion Grenade' was printed in white paint. Ethan dove to the ground, and the blast went off. His ears rang and his vision doubled and swayed. A nauseating disorientation washed over him. He tried to rise to his feet, but he was swarmed by soldiers, and through he was able to throw in a few uncalculated punches and blocks, they overpowered him. The butt of a rifle was the last thing Ethan saw before everything cut to black.

A time later, Ethan blinked back into consciousness. He was bound to a chair. His armor was stripped of him. He was left in t-shirt and slacks. His hands were tied behind him, but he could tell his watch was missing. Unseen as well, but more disheartening: the dog tag was gone as well. They stripped him of everything but clothes. At a table before him, lay spread all of his equipment and armor. A man, back to Ethan, was fumbling through his things, taking stock. An armed guard stood at the door. The man at the table picked up Ethan's watch and looked closely at it.

"Careful," Ethan told him, "It was a gift from my mother."

The man whipped around, the armed guard stiffened. The table man dropped Ethan's watch on the ground and stomped on it, breaking the glass. Ethan winced.

"Break it, you bought it," Ethan told him. The man walked up to Ethan and backhanded him so hard, he nearly tipped back the chair.

"Lacey, don't waste your time," the armed guard told him.

Ethan looked from Lacey to the other guard, "Does that make you Cagney?"

The guard walked up and socked Ethan in the gut.

"Just a joke, fellas," Ethan coughed out.

Lacey put a hand on the guard's shoulder, urging him to return to his post by the door. Lacey smirked down at Ethan, "You're not worth the effort. Kane has so much in store for you."

"Oh, I bet," Ethan snorted, "Bit cowardly to take so long to show his face. We could have had his death over and done with by now if he didn't have such a flair for the dramatics."

Lacey let out a laugh, shaking his head in disgust at Ethan, "Just you wait."

Lacey returned to the table, going over his things. He picked up the dog tag, looking it over. He turned back to Ethan, "What's this?"

"Also from my mother," Ethan replied casually.

Lacey punched Ethan in the jaw, his vision going white momentarily with the pain. The door guard shot Lacey a look. Lacey just shrugged, "May not be worth the effort, but it's still fun." He looked back to Ethan, "I'm going to ask you again, what is it?"

He dangled the dog tag in front of Ethan's nose. He shook his head, "It's just a tag."

Lacey looked at it closely. His eyes squinted as he turned it to read tiny print along the edge, "Made in...Scotland…"

Ethan let out a sad laugh.

Lacey and the guard's eyes snapped to Ethan. "Something funny?" the guard snapped.

"Inside joke."

"Yeah? This thing mean a lot to you?"

"Why? So you can smash that too?"

Lacey got in Ethan's face, staring into his eyes. The man threw the tag to the ground, the scrape of metal on the floor. Ethan willed himself to not look at the tag. It was all he had left of Benji. Lacey watched Ethan close, "Yeah...you wouldn't have it on otherwise."

Suddenly there was a bang at the door. Lacey hesitated, staring Ethan down. He walked to the door and opened it, the guard still focused on Ethan. When the door was opened, Rand was waiting on the other side. Upon his eyes hitting the IMF agent, he grinned widely. "Oh, hey, Ethan!" he called.

He entered the room, taking smug strides up to Ethan, then crouched down to be eye-level, "What an interesting change we seem to have here. Looks like I'm the one with all the power now."

"Looks can be deceiving," Ethan told him, cocking his head to the side.

Rand smirked, "Yes, that they can."

His eyes flicked down to the tag. He picked it up carefully, running it over with his fingers. His thumb brushed the hidden button in the center. He thought nothing of the button, but turned the tag over in his hand.

"He had it on him when he came in here," Lacey called from the table.

Rand's eyes flitted over the tag and came across the tiny print on the edge. He turned it once more, scanning the simple detailing on the planes, "No name on it, not like a military tag."

"Must be a misprint," Ethan offered.

Rand glanced back at the agent, "Yeah, must be." He stood up, staring down pitifully at Ethan. "I'd feel bad for you if you weren't such a smug prick."

He turned to head to the door, tag still in hand.

"Don't worry," Ethan told him, turning his head to watch the man go.

Rand stopped and looked back.

"I feel a little bad for all the terrible things I'm going to do to you once I get free," Ethan promised.

Rand snorted, "I bet. Get him ready."

He left the room, the door slamming behind him.

Lacey smirked at Ethan again. "I'm sure Kane won't mind us getting a few hits in before he comes to see ya."

Ethan shrugged, "If it makes you feel less inadequate, please help yourself."

When the pair had finished, Ethan was strung up in chains hanging from the ceiling. He was battered and bloody, some blood dripping from his face in little dots on the ground. His feet were slack as he hung, the weight of his body searing pain into his wrists. He was hurting, but not as bad as he looked. If he looked wounded and weak, then he could make his move.

Lacey spit on him before turning to leave. He snapped the lights off and he and the guard slammed the door behind them. Ethan hung limply in the dark, waiting for the right chance. He was going to get to Benji if it killed him. He just had to be patient, like Kane. Revenge is patience.


	12. The Other Side

Ch. 12: The Other Side

Benji sat, strapped to a chair. His bleeding leg had been bandaged. He shivered in his seat. Sweat plastered his clothes and hair to him, and the musty cold of the room he was in sent a chill over him. Tears and dirt stained his face. He tried to control his breathing.

 _Do what Ethan would do, don't give them the satisfaction of knowing they hurt you._

But he was hurt. Hurt and scared.

The door burst open and guard entered. Benji sat up straighter in his chair, putting on a brave face. The man only laughed at him, which made him feel angry. Angry was good-he tried to hold onto that. At least if he focused on being angry, he couldn't think of everything else he was feeling.

The guard was tall and muscular. Had Benji been standing, the man would have been well over a head taller than him. He leaned into the agent's face, who flinched. He tried not to, but did nonetheless.

"So," the man spat, "You're the one from the IMF building."

Benji tried to stay calm.

"They tell me your director got away," the guard continued.

Benji said nothing. The guard looked to Benji's wrapped thigh.

"That hurt?" The guard asked.

Benji's heart was racing. Sweat started to pour again. They had left him tied in this room for hours. He was exhausted, thirsty, in pain, and scared. The guard walked up to Benji and reached towards the agent's leg. If Benji could have crawled out of his own skin and rushed to the wall behind him he would have. The guard pressed a thumb above the bullet wound and pushed down, pulling a whimper from Benji's lips.

The guard smiled to Benji, whose eyes clouded with tears.

 _Stay strong. You have to stay_ strong _. Remember your training. Think of Ethan, no-god, don't think of Ethan._

"What happened to your director?" the guard asked, pushing down harder.

Benji let out a cry, his head tossed back and knuckles going white as he strained under the pain.

"Where is he?"

Tears poured down the agent's face as he strained under the searing agony.

The guard removed his thumb. Benji's head snapped forward and he struggled to catch a breath. The wet dripping from his face into his lap.

"Where?"

 _What would Ethan do?_

Benji's wet eyes snapped to the guard's. His lip quivered a moment, but his eyes creased in the angriest glare he could manage, "Pull up a chair...I've got all night…"

His words shook and his eyes still held a glint of fear, but his statement still stood.

The guard nodded, impressed, then slammed a fist down on the agent's thigh, emitting a terrible scream from the wounded man.

In a room down the hall, Ethan's stupor was interrupted as the door clanged open and the lights flicked on. He turned his face away, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. A blond man stood in the doorway, looking at Ethan like a child looks at his presents on Christmas morning.

Benji, meanwhile, began sobbing at the hands of his torturer.

"You sure you don't want this all to end?" the guard asked, "We can make it all stop. You just have to tell me where Hunley is."

Benji closed his eyes and cried.

"You think you know what pain is, but if you don't take my offer, in an hour you're going to be wishing it felt as nice as what you're feeling now."

 _Ethan, where are you?_

"I'm Adyn Kane-" the blond man told Ethan.

"I know who you are."

Kane smiled lightly, "Good, we can skip that part, then, but do you know why you're here?"

"Something about suffering."

Benji let out a terrible scream as the guard pressed on his wound again, but at a pounding on the door, the guard let go of Benji, whose teeth were gritted. The guard opened the door and in walked Rand, smug as ever. Benji's eyes locked with him. Through the tears, Benji glared at him.

"You…" Benji hissed.

"Me," Rand replied, smirking. He leaned against the wall, turning to the guard, "Oh, don't let me interrupt."

"We should have killed you," Benji forced out, teeth grinding.

"You should have, but you didn't. I'm going to make you sorry you didn't."

He nodded to the guard, who pressed down on Benji's thigh again.

Benji screamed again, straining in his chair. Rand sat a two-way radio on a nearby table and watched Benji carefully. The guard released the pressure, and Benji pulled against his bonds, shaking the chair.

"Stop it! Just stop! _Please_!" he pleaded.

In the next room, Kane clicked on the radio, and the sounds from Benji's room suddenly enveloped Ethan. He knew whose laboured breathing echoed on the other side, but it didn't make the blow of hearing his voice any less painful.

"Please...please stop…"

"Then _tell_ me!" the guard snapped.

Benji's head dropped, he spoke into his lap, "I...I _can't_ …"

Rand touched the guard on the shoulder, and jerked his head towards the door. The guard sighed and left the room, leaving Rand alone with Benji.

"You'll just h-have to kill me…" Benji told him sadly.

"Oh, know, you don't get to join Hunt that easily," Rand taunted.

Benji's head snapped up at the name. The feeling of pain subsided as adrenaline coursed through his body, "What?"

"Oh-did no one tell you?" Rand laughed.

Benji's breathing slowed.

"I thought for sure they told you. This will make things so much more fun."

"Tell me what?" Benji pressed.

Rand cocked his head to the side and raised a brow, "Ethan Hunt is dead."

Benji felt sick.

"No. You lie."

Rand laughed, "It's true."

"No, he's not dead," Benji shook his head.

"He's not coming for you."

Benji puffed out his chest, "I'm a field agent. I...can look after myself."

"Clearly," Rand snorted, "Either way, he's dead. Here…"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the dog tag and threw it at Benji's feet. When the agent's eyes hit the tag, the world stopped spinning.

Tears brimmed in Benji's eyes again and bile threatened to climb up his throat. His head was swimming. Not because he wouldn't be saved, but that Ethan was dead. Suddenly it became so plainly simple, the man he loved was gone. Not much else seemed to matter but that fact. The one and only person on this planet he had ever really truly loved was dead. He would never get to tell him how he felt. It was all too late.

"Please god no," Benji whimpered.

"It's true. So, where is your director?" Rand pressed.

Benji stared at the tag and allowed more tears to fall.

"Hey," Rand snapped, slapping Benji across the face.

Benji let out a groan. The pain seemed so far away right now.

"You're almost as much fun as Hunt," Rand taunted, "His screams were like music to my ears."

Benji's tears stopped all at once. His eyes locked with Rand and the slow boil of rage built up in his chest. He imagined himself gripping Rand's throat with his hands and squeezing the life out of him, or hitting the man over and over until he was dead. Suddenly the images of hundreds of scenarios of his captor's demise flew through his head. The spark was flying toward a powder keg.

Rand leaned in close, "Do you want to know what I did to him?"

 _Explosion._

Benji let out a primal scream as something was unleashed in him. He pushed with all of his leg strength, tipping him and the chair onto Rand, taking the man by surprise. The chair broke and Benji's bonds loosened. With a drive he didn't know was in him, Benji wriggled out of his ropes as Rand tried to scramble away from him. Benji turned and kicked the man with his good leg and quickly untied his bonds.

Rand tried to roll away and pulled out a gun, but Benji was on him, a frenzied fight ensued. Benji threw a punch, snapping Rand's head back. Benji rolled on top of the man and they scrambled for the gun. Pushing all of his weight on Rand's wrists, Benji turned the gun towards Rand's face and pulled the trigger. Rand went slack under him. Benji rolled off, laying on his back. He reached over and grabbed the chain of the tag. He clutched it to him and let out a gentle sob.

In the other room, Ethan stared wide-eyed at the radio. His heart stopped beating for a moment.

 _No...he can't be dead._

Kane smirked at Ethan's broken expression.

"Now you know how I feel," Kane gloated.

Ethan couldn't feel anything. He was flashing back to the moment Davian tricked him into thinking he killed Julia in front of him.

 _It's a trick, it has to be a trick. Not Benji. Please not Benji._

Ethan's mind raced to put the pieces together that somehow added up to Benji being alive. He could no longer feel the pain in his wrists as he dangled from the ceiling. He couldn't feel any of the other physical pain. He was just empty. Benji was gone. He thought he could let himself love again, and now the man he did was ripped from him.

Kane pressed a button on the radio.

In Benji's room, Kane's voice cut through the silence.

"Rand, it's Kane. Bring Benji's body into room 203," Kane commanded before the click of him releasing the button echoed.

Kane smirked to Ethan, "I want you to see him."

In Benji's room, new life was breathed into him. There was no way he could fight his way out of this place. He was going to die here, he knew this, killing Rand had been his last act of defiance, of revenge, whatever it was. Now?

 _Kane...203_

His eyes flicked to the door. This was just down the hall. He clicked off the radio on the table, letting out a groan of pain at the movement. He picked up Rand's gun, checking the magazine. More than enough bullets.

Benji wasn't leaving this compound alive, but now, he decided as he gritted his teeth, neither was Kane.


	13. Rescue

Ch. 13: Rescue

Ethan stared blankly at the radio, as if his empty expression could wish Benji back into existence. He just hung from the chains, not caring what Kane did next. There was nothing else the man could do to him. He thought of when he thought he watched Julia die. Somehow, this was even worse. The idea that he could compare the two people made him sick to his stomach with guilt.

"You know how I knew?" Kane asked, leaning back against the table.

Ethan didn't look at him.

"Knew that he was the key to your undoing?"

Ethan's dead eyes flicked up to Kane.

"You see, we knew you were buddies back when I was sent to find you. We questioned the hell out of him. At first I was certain your techie was helping you elude us. I was so suspicious of him. Then, over time, he seemed tired of you, mad at what you left him in. The mess he had to clean. Honestly, we all bought it."

Kane let out a sigh, "And then...Vienna." He paused dramatically. Ethan looked back slowly to the radio.

"When we caught wind he was helping you, I was floored. I should have trusted my instincts. You guys are such _good_ _friends_." He leered at Ethan, who could feel the intensity of the stare even though he didn't grace the man with eye-contact during his tale.

"That's when I lost Maria," Kane continued, "I thought killing your friend would be a good start to your suffering, at least until I found more people to hurt to hurt you. My plan was still so young then. I didn't have much set up, but oh-so poetically, the perfect storm was created in _England_. On the edge of the Thames to be specific."

Ethan looked over at Kane, who smiled at Ethan's recognition.

"A little birdie told me what happened. That Ethan Hunt would rather _die_ staring into the eyes of this little English newbie agent, killing bystanders in the process, than let that man die."

Kane crouched, eye-level with Ethan, smirking as he stared into the agent's eyes.

" _Good friends_ my ass," Kane laughed before standing up. He had some of Ethan's attention now. "Seemed more than a little suspect to me, but I knew he'd be a good pressure point. My luck didn't stop there, though, oh no!" He clapped his hands together, "I could hardly believe what Rand told me when we busted him out of the shitty CIA safehouse they had him in. It's amateur hour over there right now. Anyway," Kane added, throwing up his hands, "That's neither here nor there. Rand managed to spy a sweet little moment between you two. So _touching_ , really, and not only did it become clear that you were in love, but that it seemed to be _tearing you apart_."

He let the words hang in the air. Ethan wanted to glare at the man, to stare at him with furious hatred, but he was too deep in mourning to find the strength.

"Did you tell him? How you felt? Or did he die _never knowing_? It was all too good to be true…" Kane whispered giddily, "He is your undoing, Ethan. Now you know how I feel."

"I already knew how you feel…"

Kane quirked a brow.

"I had a wife," Ethan breathed out, "Years ago. I loved her so much. I lost her."

Kane's eyes narrowed, "Well, you should have been extra careful not to let it happen again, huh?"

Ethan let out a laugh, a hearty, broken laugh. Kane stared at him quizzically. Given the circumstances, Ethan appeared a madman before him. Ethan's eyes snapped to Kane's and through the pained chuckles, his eyes had welled with tears.

"I did. I tried to keep him safe. I tried to protect him. To keep him out of harm's way. Not let him in. Not let anyone see what he meant to me, not even him. I felt what I felt and I didn't tell him. I even lied to myself. I wanted him safe even from me," he shook his head, his grim smile fading as a tear fell down his cheek. "He kissed me...and I was scared. I was scared because I knew what he was. Who he was to me. I thought, 'not again,' not like Julia."

A few more tears dripped down his face, "I kept him away, and now he's dead."

Kane cocked his head to the side in mock sympathy.

"I told you I would make you suffer. Make you wish you were dead."

Ethan shook his head slowly, eyes going unfocused, "There's nothing else you can do now...I'm already dead."

There was a series of bangs at the door. Kane smiled, eagerly awaiting Ethan's reaction to Benji's corpse.

Ethan's eyes snapped to the door and without realizing it, he shook his head slightly. He couldn't bear it, but he couldn't not look. He failed Benji and now he had to look at what had become of his stupid attempts to try to protect him. For one of the only times in his life, he couldn't possibly handle what was being dealt to him.

Kane unlocked the door, and it burst open violently, knocking him back into the table.

In limped Benji Dunn, battered and bruised; blood seeped slowly from under the bandages around his thigh, his trousers were stained in blood and dirt. His shirt was slick to him in sweat and grime, his face contorted in a mix of pain and anger, stained with blood, sweat, dirt, and tears. His arms were raised, holding the gun, and in his eyes was a fury that made a killer. In this single frame of a moment, he was a terrifying display of pure rage and determination.

Those intense blues scanned the room and landed on Ethan, hanging by his cuffs, mouth agape. Suddenly Benji's expression melted and his hands lowered the gun slowly, his eyes widened and a smile of pure joy and relief washed across his face, "Ethan?!"

Kane took that moment of hesitation to charge into Benji, knocking the gun from his hands and clattering it to the floor. Benji had merely a split second to register what had happened before the two men were locked in a brawl. The pair scuffled, throwing punches and countering. Benji got a good hit in, nearly drawing a cheer from Ethan, but when Kane returned a solid kick to Benji's chest, sending him flying onto his back, the restrained agent pulled hard on his chains.

To Benji's left was the gun. As he reached for it, Kane was on him again, and the two wrestled on the ground for control of the weapon. Kane used his weight sitting atop the agent and tried to rip the gun from Benji's hand. Suddenly Kane's other hand was on Benji's throat. The agent knew he wasn't as strong as the other man and he wasn't going to win the fight for the gun. He needed help.

Trying to calm his nerves, Benji used his right hand to rifle through Kane's pockets in search of the key to Ethan's restraints. Kane had turned his focus to the gun, and didn't register what was happening. He released Benji's throat and tried to use both hands to grip the gun. Finding the key, Benji pulled it out and raised his arm above his head, throwing the key at the feet of the other agent.

Ethan looked to the key and using one foot to push the key onto the toe of his other shoe, he then flicked it up into the air, catching it in one hand.

Benji, too preoccupied with tossing the key didn't notice Kane remove one hand from the gun and slip it into his pocket. Before Benji could pull back down his extended arm, a pocket knife was plunged into his exposed gut. A gasp escaped him, and he looked down in surprise, seeing the hilt in Kane's hand and the extended metal piercing through his belly. Slowly he could feel his fingers loosen and Kane yanked the gun from his hand, ripping the knife out at the same time. Benji's hands went to his wound as shock crept over him.

Kane stood up, looking down at Benji before turning his attention to Ethan. Just as he looked up, he was blasted backwards in a tackle from the now-free agent. Fury possessed Ethan. Kane knew he was outmatched from the first punch. Upon first chance, he rolled away from Ethan, leaving the gun behind and heading for the door. Ethan grabbed the gun, took aim, and shot, hitting Kane in the shoulder as he exited the room, making him drop the pocket knife. Rather than following the man, though, Ethan turned his focus to Benji, sitting on the floor next to him.

"Benji, can you hear me?"

"I...I thought you were dead, they told me-"

"Shh," Ethan began, "It's okay, none of that is important now."

He pressed a hand over Benji's wound, making him squirm in pain.

"You should go after him," Benji added, teary eyes flicking to the open door, "You should get him."

"I will. I'll make him pay for what he did, but not now."

Benji hesitated, then nodded before locking eyes with Ethan.

"So...you won't leave me…?"

Ethan shook his head, smiling sadly at Benji, "No, I won't leave you."

"Okay," Benji replied, relieved, "I really didn't want you to go. I only said that to try to be brave. I don't want to die alone."

Benji reached a hand up, taking a fistful of Ethan's shirt as a wave of pain hit him.

"You _are_ brave. You did so well. I'm getting you out of here," Ethan told him.

Benji let out a broken laugh, "Please don't lie to me. It's not comforting."

"I'm not."

"How are you not? We can't fight our way out of here. I'm too hurt, I'd slow you down. They have too many men, we don't have a plan…"

Ethan picked up his broken watch, holding it close to Benji's face so he could see. Pressing a button on the side, the rim was suddenly lit red.

"The team always has a plan…"


	14. The Plan

Ch. 14: The Plan

Several hours ago...

"I'm not risking any more people. That's what caused this," Ethan had been saying to Luther.

"It sounds like putting Benji on the side is what did this."

Ethan fired a glare.

"Alright, I'm sorry-that was uncalled for. Look, all I'm trying to say is, don't make this a suicide mission. You've got people who've got your back. People who want to help."

"I can't lose anyone else. No one else."

Luther's eyes softened as he saw the desperation in Ethan's.

"You haven't lost him. Not yet. And all together, we can make sure you won't."

A truck pulled up quickly, the team exiting from the seats and heading towards Ethan and Luther. They watched the smoke billowing from the building and turned their attention to the other agents.

"What happened?" Brandt asked, dreading the casualty report.

"Kane happened," Ethan replied, "Hunley got to the safehouse because Benji sacrificed himself to buy time."

"Is he-"

"Kane has him."

Brandt nodded. Jane locked eyes with Ethan and drew in a breath, "What's the plan?"

Ethan tried to shake his head and decline the offer, but before he could even begin, Zhen cut him off. "We've handed Yanik off to other agents, he's in custody, he's preparing to make a deal rolling over Kane's other men."

"I think it's what Kane wanted," Ethan offered. "He had no long-term plan. He built a small empire with one goal in mind. He lead us right to a gathering of his consorts. He doesn't care if they go down. He has no loyalty. Yanik will seem like the traitor, but we were invited in to see them all. Kane just wants his revenge. That's it. Once he gets what he wants he will drop them all immediately."

"So," Jane perked up, _"What's the plan?"_

The team gathered in a small warehouse in Seattle around a table. The main source of light was an exposed bulb dangling from above them. On the table was a schematic of the building where Benji was being held. Luther was tinkering at a table off to the side as Ethan reviewed the layout of the building. Brandt marked locations of guards.

"From what we've gathered, they keep a small crew at night," Zhen was explaining, "The main guard barracks are down this way," she pointed on the map.

"This is the best entrance," Jane added, "It makes the most sense, but within 30 seconds, guards from this area," her finger tapped the spot, "will be all over you. Heavily armed. Big guns."

"What about this hall?" Ethan asked, indicating a direction that veered away from the other paths.

"Heavy security area. Alarms, cameras alerting every person on the base to your location. 45 seconds until you get swarmed. Maybe."

"What about maintenance shafts?" Jane asked, "Stealth your way in?"

"No," Ethan shook his head, stepping back, "I want the loudest, most populated route."

The women looked at him quizzically. Brandt, puzzled, slowly started to understand, "You want to go in...guns blazing…?"

"I want them to _think_ I'm going in guns blazing."

"You'll be killed, fake gun-blazing or not," Brandt insisted.

"I'll be caught."

Jane's eyes narrowed. "This helps us, how…?"

"I'll be right in the middle of the compound," Ethan nodded to the rooms marked 'holding cell'.

"So…" Brandt moved over to Luther's table and picked up a grenade, "Blow them up from the inside?"

"Close," Luther chimed in before handing Brandt a wristwatch. Brandt looked it over before turning to Ethan for an explanation.

"It's like an EMP device," Luther continued. Brandt and the women looked from Ethan to Luther and back again.

"An EMP?" Zhen asked before shrugging, going along with it.

"It'll send out a signal frying everything from lights to security and comm systems."

"Okay, so you knock everything out from the inside...then what?" Jane inquired.

"The real blazing guns come in," Ethan offered, pointing to each of them.

"The big question," Jane began, looking at the watch, "Is what if they take the watch off of you, which they probably will...what then?"

"I'll get it back."

Jane shot him a look, "There has to be a less crazy plan."

"Crazy is sort of what we do," Luther replied.

"Kane has to think I'm at my wit's end," Ethan explained.

"I think you _are_ ," Jane countered.

Ethan sighed. "He thinks I've come charging in. He'll gloat. He'll get close to me. He'll leave us alone with each other. I'll bide my time. Get free. Get the watch back."

"What if he kills you first?"

"He won't kill me before he kills Benji, and if that happens…" Ethan trailed off, shaking his head. "What if it doesn't work?"

"It'll work," Brandt added, nodding.

All eyes were on him. "Ethan can do it. He'll get in. They'll catch him. He'll bide his time. Find Benji, set off the watch, we'll come in and escort them out."

"How can you be sure?" Jane continued, worried.

Brandt shrugged, "Because Benji would say it if he were here. He'd believe in him. He'd say, 'Oh, he can do it. He'd get the watch back in no time. He'd only need _one_ grenade.'"

Ethan cracked a small hopeful smile, imagining what Benji would be saying to him now.

Jane paused a moment, looking to Ethan before making up her mind. "Okay."

The team started leaving the table, making the final preparations. Ethan moved to leave the room, but Brandt stopped him.

"I'm not Benji, _please_ take more than one grenade."

In the holding cell, Ethan pulled Benji to his feet, the injured man calling out in pain at the movement. Ethan draped Benji's arm around his shoulder and grabbed the gun from the ground. Holding the watch in one hand, he looked to Benji, whose eyes were going in and out of focus.

"You ready?" Ethan asked.

Benji blinked, trying to clear his eyes. His one hand was clamped over his wound as blood threatened to spill between his fingers. His mouth was turned down in a scowl. With hooded eyes, he upturned the palm of his free hand and shrugged.

"Sounds like a yes," Ethan replied, pressing the button on the side of the lit watch.

The two men were suddenly submerged in darkness. Ethan clicked on a flashlight from the table and mounted it to his belt. Benji blinked at the sudden light. Ethan pulled Benji toward the door, then leaned him against the frame as he grabbed the pocketknife off the ground, slipping it into his pocket and checking both directions for a clear coast.

Benji was starting to slide toward the ground when Ethan turned back to him, catching and righting the man.

"Benji, I need you to stay with me, okay?"

Benji removed his hand from his wound and stared, panicked at the amount of blood drenching his shirt.

"Benji!"

Benji's eyes snapped to Ethan.

"Stay focused on me, okay? Don't look down."

Benji's blue eyes stared into Ethan's green ones and didn't leave.

"You're going to make it. It's not that bad. You just have to stay focused and we'll get you patched up, okay?"

Slowly Benji nodded.

"Lemme take a look, just stay staring ahead. You're in shock so it's going to look worse to you than it is."

"Okay," Benji stared around the hall, not looking down again.

The fact of the matter was that it was bad. Very bad. Benji was bleeding out. Ethan needed him to stay calm and strong so they could get out of there. Ethan knelt down and moved Benji's hands from the wound. Blood poured from the slit down the front of Benji's shirt and began soaking his trousers. Ethan knew he had to halt the bleeding with more than just Benji's hand. He looked at Benji's and his own trousers, but both men's were too dirty and bloodstained. Quickly Ethan pulled off his t-shirt, catching Benji's attention.

He stared amusedly at Ethan, seeing the opportunity for a quip. "Now's not really the time, Ethan…" he coughed out a laugh.

Ethan pressed the shirt to the wound and Benji let out a gasp and whimper, his head resting back against the doorframe. "You-you'd tell me if it was really bad, right?" Benji asked, voice shaking.

"Of course."

"And...it's not, right?"

"Stop being a baby, he hardly got you."

Ethan pressed Benji's hands to the shirt and wrapped a free arm around the man. Benji knew he was lying, but didn't know how bad the injury was. "Come on," Ethan commanded, "We have to keep moving. We'll make it out."

"I believe in ya, Ethan…"


	15. Exit

Ch. 15: Exit

From outside the compound, the lights went out instantly, signalling to the team. They had been waiting hours, but no one wanted to believe that the plan was off. Jane wanted a time to wait until and if Ethan had not surfaced or cut power, they were to take action, but he refused. So they had waited.

"That's one powerful watch," Brandt commented, watching the entire complex shut down all at once. Luther was getaway driver and command center. Jane lead Brandt and Zhen down to the buildings while the remaining security looked around, startled. They were easily dispatched and the trio pressed forward to a door, breaking in quickly and moving to the designated meet-point.

Inside the building, Ethan pulled Benji along. It was a slow and painful process. Each step sent pain up and down Benji's side. As soldiers ran down the hall, trying to find out what was going on, Ethan stopped abruptly, firing pain so deep in Benji's chest he had to bite his tongue to not scream and give their position away. When the pain subsided, Benji swayed limply, nearly falling out of Ethan's arms.

Ethan turned to Benji, trying to keep the man upright, and Benji outstretched a hand, pointing behind the other agent, "Ethan…" he called quietly, his eyes drooping closed.

Ethan sat Benji down and turned quickly to face a soldier. Ethan shot rapidly, taking out the man, and the sound bounced off the walls. Ethan turned back to Benji.

"Benji! Benji, look at me. _Dammit_ , look at me!"

Benji's eyes blinked a few times, trying to bring Ethan into focus.

"You have to stay awake, you hear me? Don't go to sleep."

"I'm...I'm too tired…"

"Too bad, we have to get out. You have to stay awake."

"I can't…" Benji's eyes fluttered.

"Are you an agent or not?"

Benji's eyes opened slowly, looking more focused at Ethan. "I'm an agent."

"Then prove it. I can't get out of here without your help. You have to help me."

Benji nodded, his eyes clearing up a bit more.

"Let's go," Ethan urged, pulling Benji back up. The wounded man let out a yelp, but gritted his teeth, determined to stay awake. Ethan shuffled along, Benji's weight leaning on him. More soldiers were on their way, so Ethan readied his gun.

Suddenly the sound of spraying gunfire echoed in the halls. Both men stared, wide-eyed listening for the source of the sound. It was farther down the hall. The team was getting close.

"We're almost there, come on," Ethan called, pulling Benji faster. They reached an extension of the hall where the team was engaged in a firefight.

"Brandt!" Ethan called into the mess.

The agent in question turned toward Ethan and directed the women towards him.

Ethan sat Benji down a moment, checking him over. When Jane and Zhen fought their way over to them, Ethan tried to keep Benji focused.

"Just stay awake, okay? We're almost out."

"I need a holiday" Benji breathed out, "You can come too, if you'd like."

"Anything you say, Benji, we just need to make a big sprint. Can you handle it?"

Benji frowned, his eyes darkening. His whole body screamed in protest at each movement.

"Benji?"

"Yeah, I can do it."

"Good, let's go."

Ethan and Zhen pulled Benji to his feet again, but his torso crumpled in pain. His body couldn't handle the shock for much longer. He was going to pass out. Ethan had to think quickly. Carefully, he draped Benji over his shoulder and stood, the wounded man groaning as he hung over Ethan's back.

"We have to go, now!" Ethan called. Zhen and Jane covered him as he ran, coming back to meet Brandt. When the group was reunited, they made a break for the exit. With Luther behind the wheel, he sped the van up to the exit and flung open the side door, allowing for the team to climb into the car. Benji was laid on the floor in the back, Ethan and Zhen frantically trying to help him.

Jane covered Brandt entering the car, and when a shot clipped Brandt's shoulder, Jane returned heavy fire, killing two approaching soldiers before she climbed into the passenger seat and Luther slammed on the gas.

Jane turned her attention to Brandt, but he waved her off, "Take care of Benji and Ethan. I'm not hit bad."

Jane's eyes fell on Ethan and the scene in the back of the van. Zhen was adding new bandages to Benji's leg while Ethan pulled the shirt away, stuffing towels into the stream of blood. Benji's eyes had glazed over and he stared blankly at the roof of the car. Ethan, despite being covered in gashes and bruises and blood paid no attention to his own wounds. His whole focus was on Benji.

"Benji?" Zhen called. The man's eyes slowly turned to her, "Hey, I need you to keep your eyes open, okay?"

Benji said nothing. His eyes went back to the roof.

"Luther, drive faster!" Ethan yelled, pressing his hands hard against Benji's wounds. Benji winced but otherwise was now too far-removed from his pain.

"Think it's poetic to die in a van," Benji mumbled, barely above a whisper.

"You're not dying, Benji," Ethan snapped, "You're not going to die."

Benji's eyes looked down to the blood soaking through the towels on his chest.

"M'not exactly doing great, here…"

"You're not going to die," Ethan repeated, "You don't get to die on me. You listening to me?"

His tone was harsh. Benji's eyes met Ethan's.

"You don't get to die after everything I did to get you back, you hear me? Don't you _dare_."

A pained smile crossed Benji's face, "It's okay...I'm not as scared anymore."

"What about me?" Ethan retorted, "What about what I'm scared of?"

Benji snorted, "You're not really scared of anything…"

"That's not true," Ethan replied quickly, shaking his head.

Benji could see the fear clearly in Ethan's eyes for the first time and Benji's eyes widened in surprise. Ethan was plainly terrified, near tears even. And over what? Benji couldn't fully allow himself to believe it was all over him. Could it be?

"What...what are you afraid of?" Benji asked softly.

Silence hung in the air a moment as Ethan pulled up the courage. He didn't say it before, and now might be his last chance. He had to tell him.

"I was never so scared...as when I thought I lost you."

Benji's brow furrowed. He waited for a punchline. Some joke or friendly camaraderie speech. There had to be a catch.

"I thought you were dead...and I was broken. I didn't want to go on anymore. There was no more plan. The one thing I was most afraid of had happened despite my best efforts to keep you safe. Then when you came through the door," Ethan smiled sadly, a tear forming in the corner of his eye, "Hope swelled in my heart."

Benji's eyes widened.

"All over me?"

"You," Ethan nodded, swallowing back the threat of tears, "Always you, Benji."

The van suddenly hit a bump, drawing a strained scream from Benji. Ethan quickly clamped his hands on the towel, but Benji was losing consciousness quickly.

"Benji?"

The other man's eyes drifted closed.

"Benji!"

No response. Benji's hands dropped from his chest.

Ethan quickly checked Benji's pulse. It was beating too slowly, but it was there.

"Luther!" Ethan called.

"We're not going to make it to a headquarters. I'm headed to the hospital," Luther called back.

Ethan cradled Benji while Zhen tried to put more towels over the wound. Ethan shook his head, unwilling to believe Benji was slipping from him. They had to get to the hospital. They had to. Tears started falling down Ethan's cheeks, hitting Benji's shirt in little pats.

"No," Ethan whispered, "You have to hold on. Come on, you have to stay with me." Desperation began setting in. "Please...please stay with me."

He pressed his forehead to Benji's, closing his eyes and holding the man to him.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered.

The van was silent. The other team members looked among one another then back at Ethan. Each person was holding their breath, as if their collective sacrifice could save breaths for Benji.

Ethan lifted his head and looked down at Benji's still face. He pressed a kiss to Benji's lips, his face lingering close to the other man's.

"I love you."


	16. The Hospital

Ch. 16: The Hospital

Everything happened in slow-motion for Ethan. The van screeched to a stop in front of the hospital and the doors flew open. He helped load Benji onto a stretcher and felt a stab in his heart. The man before him seemed so small and broken. He was covered in blood, limp, motionless. The team slowly backed off, letting the medics take over, but Ethan laced his fingers with Benji's, following the stretcher into the building.

All sound had muted. Ethan didn't hear the medics talk to one another, or to him. He didn't register the change in light from the early morning outside to the bright fluorescents of the ER. He just looked down at Benji, memorizing every detail of his face. The scraggle of his facial hair. The crinkle near his eyes that creased deeply when he laughed. Suddenly Ethan could hear the sound of Benji's laugh. The warm, hearty chuckle the man would expel, radiating humor off of him. In a heartbeat, Ethan would have given anything to hear that laugh again, see that smile again, witness the nervous shift of his blue eyes after Ethan kissed him in the club.

Suddenly Ethan felt hands on him, pulling him back. He tried to pull away, but he realized it was Brandt. Ethan gave in a bit, but as his fingers untangled from Benji's and he watched the stretcher disappear behind double doors, a sinking sickness hit his gut, threatening to topple him. Brandt had given Ethan a jacket, which he zipped up numbly. He caught a few words from Jane about getting patched up before the woman escorted Brandt down the hall to treatment.

Ethan stared blankly at the double doors that separated him from Benji until Luther stepped into his line of vision. The man had been saying something, but Ethan couldn't comprehend. He shook his head, clearing his mind. "What…?"

"You should sit down," Luther told him, gesturing to a seat to the side.

Ethan shook his head.

Luther took a seat, "You should sit down a moment. They will let us know when Benji's out of surgery."

"No, I need to _do_ something. I can't sit, waiting for Benji to die while Kane is out there somewhere...trying to crawl away from me. He can run, he can hide, but he will never get so far away from me that I will not find him and make him suffer for what he did to Benji."

"Ethan…"

Luther's voice was soft and concerned. Ethan's eyes locked with Luther, and then Luther looked to Ethan's hands. They were balled in a tight fist, his knuckles going white. Ethan shook out his hands, drawing in a breath and releasing it, calming a bit. He looked around the room, trying to make a gameplan when something caught his eye, freezing his world again.

A brunette nurse with her hair pulled back in a bun was running around, busy with work when she looked up and saw Ethan staring. Though she knew she shouldn't, she crossed the receptionist area and walked right up to Ethan.

"He's going to be okay," Julia told him.

Ethan shook his head slightly, unsure of what to say.

"Dr. Bisley is one of our best. He's in good hands. You don't have to worry. He'll pull through."

"We shouldn't-"

"It's okay, everyone's too busy around to notice."

He nodded. Julia jerked her head in the direction of a corner down the way, a bit more secluded. He followed her slowly, feeling guilt rolling in his stomach, but he didn't know quite why.

"Julia I-"

"I know, Ethan," she said, putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, then sliding it up to his cheek, "I know."

Ethan's expression turned puzzled, then he shook his head as he tried to understand.

"I've seen that look before," she told him.

Ethan stayed silent.

"With me. You looked at me like that. In Shanghai."

Ethan's lips parted as he tried to explain himself, but she shook her head, smiling at him.

"It's okay," she continued, "It's okay."

She held up her left hand for Ethan and he saw a large diamond ring on her finger.

"His name is David. He's a doctor. We met a few years back at the supermarket. He was new in town and was coming to work at the Children's Hospital. I showed him the best places in town," she laughed, "We started dating not long after. He's sweet, and funny." She shrugged, smiling a bit still, "He proposed three months ago. It wasn't quite like your proposal, but…"

She laughed, making Ethan crack a small sad smile.

"He makes me happy, and I know that we can work."

Ethan nodded slowly.

"Does he?"

Ethan tilted his head to the side, "What?"

"Does he make you happy?"

Ethan was floored. Memories of Benji flooded his mind. Benji excitedly showing him gadgets at HQ, Benji eating takeout at his desk and annoying his supervisors, Benji cracking jokes with Julia after Shanghai. Benji smiling proudly from the front seat of a van after passing his field exam. Benji going on missions with Ethan. Benji in his tux at the opera. Benji arguing with Ethan to stay and work with him. Benji kissing him in Scotland. The jealousy that bubbled in Ethan's chest when Yanik flirted with Benji. Kissing Benji at the club. The moment Benji stepped through the door, gun brandished and look of a warrior on his face that melted into the uniquely wonderful smile that he had when the pair knew for that moment the other was safe.

Julia waited expectantly.

Ethan's eyes started to water again and he smiled a shaky smile, "Yes," he paused, "He makes me happy."

Julia's smile increased and she nodded, "Good, that's what's important. He's a lucky guy to have you."

Ethan looked down, uncertain.

"Hey," Julia said, bringing his attention back to her, "You both are going to be okay."

Ethan's broken smile came back, but this time, a little more genuine.

"I have to go," Julia explained, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

"I should let you go."

"You should," Julia said, her tone and expression sympathetic. "Take care, Ethan."

"Take care...Julia."

And with that, she walked away from him, heading back into the throng of working nurses, then she grabbed a clipboard, heading down the hall and disappearing. A breath left Ethan that he didn't know had been trapped behind his lips for what seemed an eternity.

Ethan turned back around to join Luther again and ponder the new information that had presented itself to him, when a man in dark clothes exited one of the exam rooms and stumbled down the hall, clutching his shoulder and limped toward the back exit. A tuft of blond hair stuck up from above his collar, and as an icy chill set in Ethan's blood, he recognized the man instantly as he slipped out the door.

Kane.


	17. What Goes Around

Ch. 17: What Goes Around

Kane hobbled down the alley, shoving bandages from the hospital against his bullet wound. He was about to turn a corner when a shot rang out, hitting the wall next to him. He turned back around to see his assailant, and he spotted Ethan walking towards him.

Kane's eyes widened and he paused a moment, waiting to see what Ethan did next. He knew if Ethan wanted to have hit him with that shot, he would have. The miss was intentional. Ethan wanted to do worse to him. Kane's eyes narrowed. He had no intentions of being caught. He turned on his heel and sprinted. Ethan lowered his gun and bolted after Kane.

Kane went down an alley, grimacing as his arms swung, hurting his shoulder. Ethan was gaining on him. Kane threw his elbow into the front window of a sitting car, the driver shielding her face from the shards. Quickly yanking the woman from the car, Kane took her seat and slammed on the gas, screeching past Ethan. The agent skidded to a halt, his heart in his throat.

 _He's not getting away from me again._

His eyes scanned quickly, looking for the right car to seize. Finding his target, he sped up again, sliding over the hood of a small smart car and pulling a man away from his BMW.

"Sorry," Ethan commented, climbing through the open door and slamming it shut. His foot hit the gas and the owner was left behind in Ethan's dust faster than he could process what had just happened.

Taking chase, Ethan's eyes went to Kane's car, and he sped up, gaining again on the man. Kane spotted the agent in his rearview and pressed harder on the gas, trying to dodge the traffic. Ethan gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles whitening. Suddenly a truck pulled in front of Ethan, causing the agent to swerve into a parked motorbike, debris flying across his line of vision. The source of the collision began honking his horn at Ethan, but the sound was lost on him, he put the car into reverse, spinning around the truck and shifted gears, sending the car into motion, tires screeching.

Kane pulled onto a bridge, trying to veer left and right in between cars. Ethan's car was right behind him again, the faster of the two vehicles. When Ethan nearly caught up to Kane, he pressed the gas to the floor, smashing the car nose against Kane's rear bumper. Kane and Ethan were jerked forward in their seats. Kane's wide eyes looked behind him and saw the rage on Ethan's face. Ethan rammed the other car again.

Kane's gas pedal was to the floor, but he needed to go faster. Ethan's car started to pull up alongside Kane's but he swerved to the side, Ethan's passenger side scraping the railing of the bridge. Ethan grimaced as sparks and chips of paint flew off the pinned sides of the car. Looking ahead, a large tractor trailer was down the way, and Ethan's car was flying straight toward it. Kane kept his wheel turned, forcing Ethan into the guardrail.

Slamming on the breaks, Ethan's car dropped behind and Kane swerved to the side, nearly driving into the semi himself, but at the last minute, he dodged the truck. Before he could feel a moment of relief, gunshots rang out. Ethan was leaning out of his window and firing at the rear tire of Kane's car. Squinting in concentration, a bullet finally pierced the tire, sending Kane into a fishtailing motion. As they reached the end of the bridge, Kane tried to maintain control of his swerving vehicle. Ethan rammed the other car again, shoving it into the edge of the rail and spinning out of control. Kane pulled to the side, but it was slowing from the damage.

Quickly Kane crawled out of the car and started running from the bridge. Ethan was out of his car in a flash and was gaining on Kane. The two reached a dock and Kane grabbed a pipe from atop a crate, spinning around and striking Ethan just before he could grab him. The agent dropped his gun and before he could pick it up again, Kane kicked it away, then came after Ethan with the pipe.

He swung hard and Ethan dodged before sending a solid punch to Kane's midsection. The blond became enraged, swinging again, but Ethan blocked it with his arm, letting out a groan of pain. He threw a punch into Kane's face and tackled the man when his head snapped back. The two wrestled a moment, throwing in punches and grabbing at each other's throats, when Ethan began to get the upper hand, Kane grabbed Ethan's face, attempting to press his thumbs into the agent's eyes. Ethan lurched backwards, scrambling away from Kane.

Ethan pulled the pipe from Kane's hands and stood up, but as Kane stood up as well, Ethan saw the man had his gun.

"Goodbye, Ethan," he smirked, pulling the trigger.

 _Click._

Kane looked at the gun, stunned. Ethan was relatively unphased. Throwing down the gun, Kane looked from Ethan to the pipe in his hand, and back.

"So now what? We just keep fighting until one of us is dead?"

"Works for me," Ethan replied calmly.

Kane let out an angry laugh, "And what if I get away?"

"I will hunt you down."

"That worked well for me."

"You're not me."

Kane let out a huff, eying the agent.

"So you get to destroy my life, and you think after all this you're in some righteous position?"

Kane drew closer, fists bunched, ready to resume fighting. Ethan gripped the pipe and looked into Kane's eyes. He let out a slow breath and threw down the pipe, letting his hands drop to his side.

"No. I don't blame you for coming after me when you believed it was my fault," Ethan told him, "I don't care that you tortured me, I don't care about _anything_ you did to me. I understand."

Kane drew closer, waiting for his moment to strike now that Ethan was disarmed.

"I'm willing to forgive it," Ethan continued, "Every harm you did me, I hold no grievances."

Kane's fists closed tight and his eyes flicked to Ethan's throat. He was ready to attack.

"But you came after Benji...and _that_...I can't ever forgive…"

Kane jumped forward, hands clamped around Ethan's throat, but he let out a sudden gasp and looked down. Sticking out of Kane's chest was the knife he had stabbed Benji with. Ethan pulled the knife to the side, gutting Kane.

"I believe this is yours," Ethan added, barely above a whisper. Kane's hands relaxed and fell to his side.

Ethan's eyes, full of controlled fury stared back into Kane's and he watched the light slowly leave them. Ethan pulled the knife back out and held it at his side, never looking away from Kane.

The man slowly fell backwards, letting out a gargle when he hit the ground. His eyes tried to focus on Ethan, who stared down at him. Kane's hands fumbled at his knife wound, but he was too far-gone to save himself. Slowly his eyes went out of focus, and they drifted to the side. His mouth hung slack and with a final cough, he went still.

Ethan remained transfixed another moment before he let the knife drop from his hand, it hitting the ground with a clatter. He let out a breath and turned away, heading back towards the hospital.


	18. It's All Over

Ch. 18: It's All Over

When Ethan rejoined the team at the hospital, they glanced over the agent's new injuries and empty expression and needed no explanation of what had happened during his absence. Brandt's arm was in a sling and he kept looking to Ethan as though he had something to say, but he voiced nothing. Luther and Zhen wanted to give him space, but Jane decided against remaining silent.

"Why don't you go home?" she pressed.

Ethan shot her a look, but she shook her head, "The doctors won't know for several hours, you can go home, get a shower, get some rest."

"We all should," Brandt chimed in before Ethan could protest.

The agent sighed and looked blankly from one to the other.

"Thank you," he told the pair before his eyes went to the others, "I wouldn't have made it this far without all of you, so...thank you."

Brandt and the women nodded solemnly, Luther just studied him.

"We've given him his best chance," Ethan continued, almost more of a question than a statement.

The team nodded again. Brandt felt pressed to say something still.

Zhen walked up to Ethan and patted him on the shoulder before heading for the door. Jane was reluctant, but she followed suit, studying Ethan. She stopped just behind him and turned back.

"I'll be okay," he told her, "go."

She let out a breath and followed Zhen. Luther was next to walk up to Ethan, and he looked down at him, shaking his head.

"You did good," Luther told him, "He's a tough little guy. He'll pull through," he looked over his shoulder to the double doors then turned back, "Plus he knows you'd kick his ass if he didn't."

Ethan let out a hollow laugh.

Luther started to leave then leaned close, "Now, don't you go getting married without telling me this time."

Ethan's laugh became a little more genuine this time and he allowed an appreciative smile before Luther headed to the exit. Brandt was still standing awkwardly, caught between leaving and saying something.

Ethan was about to call him out on it when he opened his mouth.

"When we first met," Brandt began, "I had a weight in my chest because I had carried around the guilt of thinking I had failed you. That I let you down."

Ethan moved to speak, but Brandt pressed ahead.

"Last we were in this city, you made me privy to the knowledge that I hadn't failed and caused you to lose the person you loved." He paused, "I was an analyst, I should have known we were walking right into a trap in DC. I should have exercised the judgement here that I didn't then and-"

"Brandt," Ethan cut in, shaking his head.

"No, I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm so sorry. I can't...imagine what this has been like for you. He's part of the team, but I didn't know what he means to you until recently…"

"Neither did I," Ethan replied softly.

Brandt looked down.

"He's stronger than we give him credit for," Brandt's eyes flicked back to Ethan, "He always looked up to you and wanted to do you proud, and he's learned from your determination. If anyone can pull through, he can."

Ethan nodded sadly. Brandt thought a moment before continuing.

"He loves you."

Ethan locked eyes with Brandt.

"It's obvious to all of us now. I...I don't think he'd want to disappoint you."

"No...he wouldn't."

Brandt nodded. "You didn't let him down either, you know?"

Ethan swallowed.

With that, Brandt slowly made his way to the exit, letting out a breath.

Ethan took a seat in one of the chairs, determined to wait as long as it took for Benji to pull through.

A few hours of silence later and the team slowly came back to the waiting area one by one. They seemed slightly less haggard than before. Brandt had a rucksack slung over his shoulder. He handed it to the Ethan.

"Change of clothes if you needed," he told him.

Hours more passed and Ethan pushed exhaustion from his mind and focused on staying there for Benji. The team talked amongst themselves. Occasionally they left to get something to eat or to walk around. Ethan remained in his chair, waiting and hoping.

As afternoon pressed into evening, a weary doctor emerged from behind the double doors. He looked at the team and locked eyes with Ethan, who was the most desperate-looking of the group.

"He's stable right now...but tonight could go either way…He lost a lot of blood."

Ethan's heart sank.

"He's very strong, a definite fighter. We've moved him to the ICU…"

Inside Benji's room, the Englishman was tucked into his bed, surrounded by various machines trying to keep him alive. He lay limply, a tube sticking out from his mouth and coiling behind his head. His arms were at his sides on the bed, his chest rising and falling slowly.

Ethan entered alone. The others had decided the agent deserved this private moment. Walking close to Benji he suddenly stopped, afraid to get too close and cause him more harm. He shook his head at the man's state. It wasn't fair.

He pulled a chair up to the bedside slowly and sat gingerly. His eyes looked Benji up and down and he swallowed a lump in his throat. Taking Benji's hand, he squeezed lightly, an attempt at contact.

"Benji…" Ethan called softly, "You have to keep holding on just a little longer, okay?"

He was gifted no response from the unconscious man.

"Please hold on for me. I need you."

When visiting hours drew to a close and a nurse doing her rounds entered the room, she saw Ethan asleep in his chair, holding tight to Benji's hand. She checked over the machines and decided against waking the agent. She left undetected by the exhausted man.

Ethan's eyes slowly fluttered open. He looked to Benj, whose tube had been replaced by a mask. Ethan took this as a good sign. He sat up, still not letting go of Benji's limp hand. With his free hand, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked at the machines. Still going strong.

Outside the window, the sky was lightening with the approaching sun. Benji had made it the night.

Suddenly, Benji's fingers curled in, holding Ethan's hand back.

Ethan sat up quickly, scooting closer to Benji. The younger man's eyes cracked open, then closed. Ethan scanned Benji's face quickly, and Benji tried to open his eyes again. Blinking at the light, his blue gaze fell on Ethan.

Benji mumbled something incoherent and Ethan's pulse quickened.

Benji let out a groan and reached with his free hand for the mask, but Ethan moved to stop him.

"No, just leave that on," Ethan told him, "You're going to be okay."

Ethan couldn't tell if that sentence was more for Benji's benefit or his own.

Benji reached again at the mask and pulled it off, despite Ethan's warning. Benji took in a shaky breath and shook his head when Ethan moved to put the mask back on.

"You...you look like shite," Benji choked out.

"You should see yourself," Ethan shot back, smiling excitedly down at Benji.

Benji adjusted to breathing on his own and his eyes took in the room before settling back on Ethan.

"Kane...did you-"

"He's not going to hurt you ever again."

"It's not me I was worried for…"

Ethan said nothing for a moment. Benji drew in a slow breath and let out a cough. Ethan moved to put Benji's mask back on, but he moved his hand in the way.

"I don't want it," Benji told him when the other agent shot him a look.

Ethan relented, sitting back in his seat. Their hands were still entangled.

Benji looked down at their hands and smiled, then closed his eyes, resting his head back on the pillow.

"You need to rest," Ethan told him.

"Did you mean what you said…?"

Ethan tilted his head to the side in puzzlement.

"When I said what?"

Benji's eyes flicked open and narrowed at Ethan, studying the other agent.

"That you loved me."

Ethan let out an exasperated laugh, "I thought you were unconscious."

"Just answer the question."

Ethan paused a moment, Benji looked over him worriedly.

"Yes," he swallowed, "I meant it."

Benji's brow furrowed, "I want to hear you say it."

Another little laugh escaped Ethan. Benji wasn't laughing. Ethan sat forward, squeezing Benji's hand.

"I love you, Benji Dunn."

A smirk crossed Benji's face and he closed his eyes again, settling down in his bed, "You're damn right to," he told Ethan.

The older agent smiled and shook his head, feeling tension leave his body. Benji's grip tightened on his hand and Ethan looked over at the Englishman.

"I love you too, Ethan."

The pair slowly began to relax, knowing that the other was finally and truly safe.


End file.
